by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Can we do better?” asked Franklin County School Board member Sarah Marhevsky at the May 11 meeting, arguing for higher salaries for certified staff. After long discussion, the board approved the 2026-2027 budget as presented without increases in teachers’ wages beyond the standard years-of-experience increase. The board also approved a more restrictive communication devices policy.

“We could do better, but we would be broke,” said Vice Chair Lance Williams in response to Marhevsky’s appeal for higher wages for teachers. “Seventy-nine to 80 percent of the budget is salaries. We would need to cut from somewhere else.”

Human Resources Supervisor and rising director of schools Roger Alsup concurred. “I would like the bottom line to be better, but I don’t want to bankrupt the school.”

“It will be interesting to see what other schools are doing,” said board member Sara Liechty. “I think we’ll be in line.”

At the request of Deputy Director of Finance Jenny Phillips, the budget was approved unconditionally, with or without the county commission allocating growth from property taxes to the schools. “We always put this [stipulation] in,” said Phillips. Marhevsky abstained from the vote.

Franklin County High School Principal Brittney Butner and North Middle School Principal Holly Eslick led the discussion about the communications devices policy. The previous policy allowed principals discretion in disciplinary actions for violation of the policy. “Each school created their own [disciplinary procedures],” Eslick said. Butner and Eslick served on a committee tasked with standardizing the policy and disciplinary procedures for violating the personal communication device use rules.

The policy applies to all personal communication devices and personal electronic devices, from cellphones to gaming devices. Students in grades K-5 are not allowed to have PCDs unless their individual education program, health care needs, or managing a disability call for PCD use.

Students in grades 6-12 can have PCDs but they must be stored (for example, in a backpack or locker) and may be taken out only during lunch.

Butner observed many students had jobs or other commitments they needed to check on. “We wanted to allow them some time to do that,” Butner said.

For the first offense, the device is confiscated; for the second offense, the device is confiscated and a parent must pick it up; for the third offense, a parent must pick up the device, and the student is assigned two days of ASD (After School Detention), one day of ISS (In School Suspension), or one week of lunch detention; for the fourth offense, the device is not allowed back on campus, the student serves two days of ISS, and the student may be suspended or lose driving privileges.

Eslick stressed the committee wanted the same disciplinary actions to apply in middle school and high school.

Both Butner and Eslick said with use restricted to lunch, “the cafeteria was loud.” Even though phone use was allowed, instead of staring at their phones as might have been expected, students were talking and interacting.

The board also approved amendments to three other policies. Employees’ sick leave and vacation time will be prorated if the employee works less than the specified hours to account for less time on the job. The Attendance Policy was amended to allow a principal to excuse a student to attend a course in religious moral instruction for up to one class period per school day.

Marhevsky updated the board on recent legislative action related to the public schools. The Tennessee legislature voted to increase the number of Education Freedom Scholarships to 35,000, instead of the increase to 25,000 called for when the program was adopted last year. Other legislation established an oversight board to manage the Memphis-Shelby County Schools to counter the district’s lagging behind in academic performance. The oversight board has broad authority, which could include firing and hiring a superintendent, textbooks, and classroom curriculum, and will have final say over the district’s $1.7 billion budget.

Franklin County High School graduate and former student school board representative Cason Orr advised the board of a unique educational opportunity in conjunction with the Remote Area Medical clinic to take place June 6-7 at FCHS. The clinic will offer free medical, dental and vision care. Ten spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis for students to shadow medical professionals during the clinic, gaining valuable experience and a useful credential for college applications.

Rock Creek Elementary hosted the May 11 board meeting to celebrate the unveiling of the “Rocket Chair,” a creation of world-renowned mosaic artist Sherri Hunter. The chair with a rocket ship motif design symbolizes the school’s pride, community, and ambition.