WATCH NOW: Kingsport school board approves 2026-27 school calendar

KINGSPORT — Kingsport's Board of Education approved the 2026-27 school year calendar Tuesday night. The board also on its business agenda got a report that for the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year indicated no credible threats of violence or disruptive behavior required notification of local or Tennessee law enforcement. And it reviewed a new recruitment video KCS commissioned. Board member Todd Golden and Vice President Melissa Woods were absent from the meeting, making all votes 3-0 with two absent. CALENDAR The Kingsport City Schools board approved the proposed 2026-27 KCS School Calendar and Designated Holiday Schedule for 12-Month Employees, both as presented during last month's work session by Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True. Classes for students will begin Monday, Aug. 3 with a full day and end Wednesday, May 19, with a half day. THREAT ASSESSMENT The board also accepted a report Required by Policy from the Threat Assessment Team. Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True and Chief Student Services Officer Jim Nash presented the required report, which must be presented at least once a quarter under board Policy 3.204. The report provides parents and guardians with information on credible threats of violence or significantly disruptive behavior directed toward or occurring on the grounds of the school their student attends. For the first quarter, July 1-Sept. 30, no incidents were reported to state and local law enforcement agencies requiring notice to parents and guardians, according to a memorandum from True to the BOE. Nash said that incidents are ranked in order of 1-4, with 1 the most serious and 4 the lease serious. He said school resource officers and administrators, as well as the threat team, take a "deep dive" into threats but that none rose to the level of asking for assistance from law enforcement outside SROs. OTHER ACTION The board also: • Approved the purchase of playground equipment for an update at Jackson Elementary School, as presented by Frye. The contract went to Playground Preferred Inc. and is $60,779.63. Funding will be from the School General Purpose Fund. Jackson is scheduled to cease being an elementary school when a new 750-student elementary school opens in part of the former Sullivan North High building in August of 2031. True said before the meeting that the new equipment would be used until then and could be moved to another location after Jackson closes. Board member Jamie Jackson said she asked about the equipment not being accessible to students in wheelchairs but that as of now no such students attend Jackson and other play equipment is available in other playground areas that can accomodate students in wheelchairs. Frye said kindergarten students this year would finish their elementary years at Jackson and equipment being replaced was in poor repair. Jackson said the school system would address wheelchair needs if and when a student in a wheelchair attends the school. "Going with a lower price made more sense," Jackson said. The system will "cross that bridge (of wheelchair accessibility) when we come to it." • Reviewed a new video KCS will use to recruit educators, focusing on the system's "tradition of excellence and future of possibilities." The video, on the system's YouTube Channel, includes former students as well as a voiceover by Superintendent Chris Hampton and interviews with math and firefighting instructor Bryan Kerns and band director Lafe Cook of Dobyns-Bennett High School as well as other teachers. KCS Communications Editor Marybeth Kench, Nick Bowen of Cumberland Marketing worked on the project, and D-B alumnus Sullivan Perry contributed to it. • Awarded a bid for secure entry upgrades for Cora Cox Academy after a report by Chief Finance officer David Frye. The City of Kingsport procurement manager received two bids at the bid opening on Oct. 1, and the lowest compliant bid was $68,956.00 from Custom Building Group Inc. The total cost of this project will be $76,343.00, including an architect fee of $3,250.00 and a 6% contingency of $4,137. This project will be funded by the Public School Security Grant capital outlay account.