City School Board approves new jumbotron and turf for the J.C. Sawyer Stadium

SPECIAL TO THE STATE GAZETTE

The Dyersburg City School Board met in regular session at 5:30 p.m, Dyersburg Primary School, on Monday, September 9. Present were board members Chairman Jim Coy Houston, Mike Hickman, Courtney Patrick, Dr. Scott Self, and Gleyn Twilla. Absent: Whitney Allmon and Carlos Doss.

Also attending were Dyersburg City Schools Director Kim Worley, Brian Jordan, Primary School, Dyersburg Primary School’s Principal Linda DeBerry and Instructional Supervisor Jennifer Jackson, and CTE Director Kim Yeiter, among others.

The following consent items were approved by the Board with a motion from Self and a second from Patrick. In addition to the minutes and agenda, the board consented to student travel:

DMS Beta, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, September 25-26

FFA National Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana, September 22-25

DHS Competition Cheer, Southaven, Mississippi, September 26

DHS Choir, Murray, Kentucky, November 3-4

DHS Girls Basketball, Murray, Kentucky, December 21

DHS Girls Basketball, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, January 12, 2025

DHS Choir, Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 9-10, 2025

Houston turned the meeting over to Worley to open the floor for officer elections. With Board approval and a second from Patrick, Self nominated Houston to remain chairman. The motion passed unanimously. With Board approval and a second from Hickman, Patrick nominated Self to remain Vice-Chair. The motion passed unanimously.

Brian Jordan introduced Telehealth as a new resource available to students, outlining the steps taken to secure this service. He provided a demonstration of the Telehealth equipment and detailed the phases and procedures Dyersburg City Schools will follow to implement the program. Additionally, Jordan highlighted the potential for staff members to access this resource in the future.

Worley addressed the board regarding the necessity of replacing the jumbotron at J.C. Sawyer Stadium. She presented a proposal from Datatronic Control, Inc. (DCI), explaining that DHS has already secured sponsorships covering a significant portion of the project. She requested the board’s approval to allocate $50,000 from the Reserve Fund to finalize the funding and complete the project. With a motion from Twilla and a second from Self the motion was approved.

Worley requested approval to replace the turf at the stadium. She explained that the current turf, originally warrantied for eight years, has lasted 12 years due to the exceptional maintenance by the staff, particularly by Doug French. She assured the board that this high standard of care would continue with the new turf. Presenting a proposal from FieldTurf for $710,673, she noted that the company could reuse a portion of the existing turf known as the infield, reducing the overall cost by $37,920 and bringing the final proposal to $682,753. Additionally, two new logos, not included in the original proposal, would be added to the field. Josh Rogers, Director of Operations, provided the board with field mock-ups and detailed the technology and specifications of the new turf project. Worley requested the board approve a transfer of $682,753 from the reserve fund to initiate the project. Rogers estimated that, upon approval, the project would take approximately one month to complete, starting after the football season and concluding before the start of spring sports. Worley also informed the board that DHS has secured seven community sponsors for the project and is actively seeking an eighth. With a motion from Hickman and a second from Self, the motion carried.

DeBerry and Jackson gave a presentation on how student interventions are used at DPS to help meet student needs. Board members were given details on how students are placed, depending on student needs, into Frog/Tiger Time, TN All Corps, Extended Learning Time, or HOST Learning Program to help them reach their full potential. DeBerry also presented how behavioral interventions are being implemented at DPS

Policies/Handbook Updates

4.600 Grading System: Self made a motion to accept revisions for Policy 4.600 Grading System on first and second reading Patrick seconded this motion, and the board approval. 4.700 Testing Programs: Self made a motion to accept revisions for this policy on first and second reading, and Twilla seconded this motion. The motion carried.

Worley expressed the need to update both DHS and DMS handbooks to reflect the updated policies. With a motion from Self and a second from Patrick the board approved.

Success Stories--Houston brought attention to the following successes:

DIS: Trojans of the Week: Ty Newsom, Cora Houston, Dioseyli Lopez

DMS: Trojans of the Week: Lucy Penland, Izzy Reynolds, Tarlisha Randals, Henley Brooks, Jude Stone, Ronnie Booker

DHS: fall sports (football, girls soccer, volleyball, golf, cross country) are underway and having lots of successe; Ann Thomas Lowery was chosen to represent West Tennessee as a Tennessee FFA At-Large Delegate; Beta Club was chosen as a 23-24 National Beta School of Merit to honor their dedication and commitment to academic excellence; all 18 of our senior Nursing students have completed their OSHA 10 Healthcare and CPR/First Aid certifications; The College Board National Recognition program recognizes students on a variety of criteria including: 1) scoring in the top 10% in the state on the PSAT, 2) Earning a 3 or higher on 2 or more AP exams, 3) Earning a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher; Juan Rivera, Hannah Pankey, Addyson Sherrod, Casey Lewis and Deimos Waller achieved College Board National recognition.

With no further business and Board approval, Houston made a motion to adjourn with a second from Self.