by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the outset of the Sept. 11 Franklin County School Board meeting, a parent complained about fighting and rowdy student behavior at Franklin County High School football games and her uninvolved son being struck in the head by a Coke bottle and injured. Disruptive student behavior and alcohol use at football games prompted the board to act, reinstituting stricter disciplinary standards in the 2023-2024 Code of Conduct.

Franklin County High School Principal Roger Alsup said the previous Code of Conduct listed alcohol use as Level 4 Misbehavior. “The first offense was 45 days at the Alternative School.”

The new Code of Conduct lists alcohol use as Level 3. Franklin County High School SRO Adam Lindsey said there were 14 known incidents so far this year. “[Alcohol use] used to be zero tolerance. Not anymore.” Students regard the Level 3 two-weeks suspension punishment as “getting a vacation,” Lindsay said. Legal action for underage consumption varies depending on mitigating factors, such as “first offense.” Emphasizing the seriousness of the problem, Lindsey recounted an SRO finding a 17-year-old high school student passed out in his car on Greenhaw Road after a football game. To discourage alcohol consumption, police forbade bringing food and drinks into the stadium at the last game. “That pushed the party to the parking lot,” Lindsey said.

“How did [alcohol use] go down from Level 4 to Level 3?” asked Vice Chair Lance Williams.

“In the new code of conduct it may have moved without us realizing it,” said school board member Sara Liechty. “Any school activity after 3 o’clock is a privilege,” Liechty insisted. “Students who disrupt the activity should lose the privilege. It is a disruption of the pleasure of others.”

Human Resources Supervisor Linda Foster said Director of Schools Cary Holman favored “banning” students who engaged in disruptive behavior from extracurricular activities. (Holman could not attend the meeting.)

The board decided to return both alcohol and drug use to the Level 4 category and to categorize sale and distribution of alcohol and drugs as Level 5, with possible consequences up to one-year expulsion. Board member Sarah Marhevsky maintained the Code of Conduct needed to include “restorative practices to deal with the underlying causes [of alcohol and drug use].” Liechty recommended “banning” students from extracurricular activities for Level 3 and up. (Possession of tobacco, vape products, and drug paraphernalia are Level 3.)

Foster will draft a revised Code of Conduct for the board’s review at a Special Session, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Franklin County Annex following the county School Committee meeting. The board hopes to have the new code of conduct policy in place before the next home high school football game.

Taking up another controversial policy, Liechty said Tennessee State Representative Iris Rudder contacted her about complaints the school lunch policy limiting student charges to $10 had resulted in students not being fed. By law, the school system “was not allowed to not feed students,” Liechty said. “The policy is causing misunderstanding.”

“We’re not denying kids food,” Alsup said.

Foster said at the end of last school year, the district was burdened with almost $10,000 in unpaid charges. At the August meeting Holman explained the policy only applied to students charging extras such as ice cream. Clarifying the actual situation, Foster explained during COVID funding provided free lunch for all students. When the free-lunch practice ended, many students began charging lunches. Liechty said it was the parents’ responsibility to apply for free or reduced lunch when the family was financially challenged. Board member Sandra Shultz questioned whether parents received the free-reduced lunch application forms sent home with students. Schultz insisted the application was entirely confidential and not even school principals knew which students received free and reduced lunch. Liechty said by the new state funding formula TISA the district received additional funds for students qualifying for free and reduced lunch; qualifying families not applying reduced much needed school funding. “The parents don’t want to fill out the forms,” insisted Huntland School Principal Lisa Crabtree. Two business owners contacted Crabtree offering to pay students’ balances to reduce their charge accounts. Crabtree also pointed out students could not charge à la carte items such as ice cream.

“Then [the $10 charge limit] has no point,” Liechty said.

Foster said compared to the same time last year, charges had dropped from $2,500 to $1,800. The board will remove the controversial provision from the policy.