Danny Parkerson Elected Chairman of School Board

September 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Board of Education has a new chairman.

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, First District member Danny Parkerson was elected to serve as chairman for the next twelve months. He will succeed Fifth District member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III who has served as chairman for several years. Evins will remain a member of the board.

Meanwhile, Seventh District member Shaun Tubbs was elected Vice-Chairman, succeeding Parkerson, who had held the position. Third district member Jim Beshearse will succeed Tubbs as a Tennessee Legislative Network (TLN) representative

The board re-organizes each September electing officers to serve for the year.

In other business, the School District’s closed door policy is now a thing of the past.

The Board of Education voted 5 to 1 to adopt a policy amendment on second and final reading to allow non-resident students to apply for admission to DeKalb County Schools subject to approval of the Director of Schools and payment of a $750 per semester tuition per student. While the district will be able to count them for state funding, the tuition will largely supplant the county’s per pupil funding for these kids. All voted in favor except second district member Alan Hayes. Fifth district member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III was absent. The board approved the amendment on first reading in August.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps reminded the public that proposals are being accepted through Thursday, September 26 at 10 a.m. from any landowner in DeKalb County, preferably within the City of Smithville or within five miles of the city, who has 25-100 acres of property to sell for construction of a new Pre-K to 2nd grade elementary school to replace Smithville Elementary School.

“We have put our (Request for Proposals) RFP out and we are looking at September 26 for those to be turned in to the County Mayor’s office. We will look at those and the parameters we have set as a board and as our architects have talked to us about what we need for schools. Hopefully we will have some news on September 26 but if not we will keep going forward,” said Director Cripps.

The property should have favorable topography, good vehicle access, and be accessible to sewer, water, and natural gas services.

Prospective bidders may pick up an RFP (Request for Proposal) packet from the DeKalb County Board of Education. A proposal form is also attached here.

(CLICK LINKS BELOW)
RFP.pdf
Request for Proposal

Sealed proposals are being accepted until 10 a.m. Thursday, September 26 in the office of the County Mayor at the courthouse, public square, Smithville and will be opened publicly at that time. Such proposals would not only have to be reviewed by the Board of Education but also by the County Commission’s Purchasing Committee.

Director Cripps also renewed his plea for more bus drivers. The school district still has a shortage of drivers and that is affecting the bus routes.

“We need bus drivers and we know that this has been a challenge for our parents because there are some routes which have not been able to be covered. We are short of bus drivers and we are looking for people to be part of our solution. If you are interested in driving a school bus, even if you don’t want to drive full time or if you are willing to be a substitute driver, we are taking all comers. Contact Jamie Vickers at the Board of Education Central Office or call Michael Agee, the Transportation Supervisor at the school bus garage,” said Director Cripps.

In his monthly personnel report, Director Cripps said Melanie Crews has been hired as an educational assistant at Smithville Elementary; Barbara Jiminez as a teacher at Northside Elementary School; James Wilkerson and Zach Adams as mechanics at the school bus garage; and Brittany Simpson as an EA at DeKalb Middle School. Carol Sampley, a teacher at Northside Elementary School has resigned.

September 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Police Detective James Cornelius is among thirteen law enforcement officers from across the state along with two criminal justice students who recently became new graduates of the TBI State Academy.

The Academy was created as a professional and specialized training ground for Tennessee law enforcement officers who want to expand their education and training in the criminal justice field. Through the six-week course, attendees learned advanced investigative techniques, science, and strategy; skills they can take back with them and put into practice at their home agencies.

The TBI State Academy was modeled after the FBI’s National Academy, and includes coursework in the areas of leadership, constitutional law, communications intelligence, and crime scene and undercover investigations. Candidates were nominated by their department heads and selected to attend, and were required to have five years of experience as a full-time commissioned officer of a Tennessee law enforcement agency.

The TBI State Academy also partners with Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee State University, and a student enrolled in the criminal justice program at each school also attended the course. Additionally, MTSU provides cameras, and TSU provides tablet computers, to each student, and these officers can take them back to use at their respective agencies.

Each year, one student is honored with the prestigious Director’s Award. The officer selected for that award is the individual with the highest cumulative scores in academic tests, physical fitness, shooting competition, leadership presentation, and case presentation. This year’s winner of the Director’s Award, announced during today’s graduation, is Investigator Sergeant Bryan DeRose, with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The Academy runs four days a week for six weeks and is held at Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy in Bell Buckle. This is the eighth class to graduate from the TBI State Academy.

September 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The staff of Congressman John Rose (TN-6) will be in DeKalb County on Tuesday, September 17th to meet with local citizens who need assistance with federal services.

“I am thrilled to have a talented district staff serving the good folks of Tennessee’s Sixth District. We are focused on providing top-notch constituent services for all 19 counties,” said Rose. “Knowing that at times it may be difficult to travel to one of our two district offices, I have directed my district staff to periodically set up office hours in other locations throughout our 19 county-district. This will allow everyone in the Sixth District to have face-to-face access to my district staff and the services we provide.”

“The next opportunity for constituents to take advantage of these remote office hours will be in Smithville,” Rose announced. “My staff will be meeting with constituents at the DeKalb County Board of Education on Tuesday, September 17th from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Central Time. Constituents who do not need a face-to-face meeting may call the Cookeville office to discuss any questions at 931-854-9430.”

Congressman John Rose represents Tennessee’s Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.

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