The Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District Board of Education approved updated student handbooks, adopted numerous state-mandated policy revisions and received construction and academic updates during its July meeting.
Board members also approved the district’s property tax rate, which will remain unchanged at $0.18156, meaning there will be no tax increase for district taxpayers.
Elementary Principal April Petreman presented revisions to the Central Elementary handbook, explaining that most changes were intended to simplify existing language and improve clarity rather than create new rules.
Among the updates were revisions to the district calendar dates and a change requiring all Pre-K through fifth-grade students to eat breakfast in their classrooms. The board also approved reducing the number of parent-written absence notes from six to two each school year.
Board members spent considerable time discussing the revised dress code, including expectations for shorts, shirts and other attire. Finley said the goal was to make expectations clearer while aligning the elementary dress code with the middle and high school handbook.
“Coach Finley and I kind of matched our dress code on this,” Petreman said. “I don’t think there’s anything on here that is unreasonable.”
The board also discussed removing parent pickup and drop-off procedures from the handbook. Petreman said teachers will review traffic patterns and dismissal procedures with parents during Open House and will contact families unable to attend.
The elementary handbook was approved unanimously.
Central High School Principal Jonathan Finley then presented revisions to the middle and high school handbook.
Changes include updated dress code language, reinstating a final exam policy, adding summer school guidelines for middle school students and reorganizing sections of the handbook to make information easier for parents and students to find.
“I think we need to make sure that our staff and our teachers know these handbooks inside and out so that there’s never an issue of confusion over tardiness,” Finley said.
Board members also discussed attendance requirements, discipline procedures, dual enrollment, work-based learning opportunities and final exam exemptions.
Following discussion, the board agreed to make several additional revisions before publication, including renaming the tiered discipline section to clarify it applies only to minor offenses, resetting the discipline system at the semester break instead of every nine weeks, removing students with a “C” average from eligibility for final exam exemptions and adding language outlining expectations for students participating in dual enrollment and work-based learning programs.
The board also scheduled a budget workshop for July 20 at 5:30 p.m.
Later in the meeting, board members approved a series of policy revisions presented by Director of Schools David Duncan. Many of the updates were required by changes in Tennessee law and Tennessee School Boards Association recommendations before the start of the new school year.
Approved policies included updates covering family life education, instructional use of digital devices, staff rights and responsibilities, student assignments, student discipline, behavior intervention services for eligible students with autism or developmental delays, emergency medication procedures, protections for students from military families, employment requirements, including E-Verify and drug testing and revisions to employee professional leave.
The board also approved the district’s budget and financial reports.
During his monthly report, Duncan said construction continues on the football stadium, with fencing, handrails and several finishing touches still to be completed before football season.
He also recognized Coach Jonathan Finley, Summer Davis and contractors for preserving the historic “Tiger Territory” letters removed during construction. The letters will be permanently displayed on the hillside overlooking the stadium.
Duncan reviewed several upcoming dates, including staff in-service beginning July 27, board orientation on July 31, Open House on Aug. 2, Prayer on the Hill later that afternoon, new employee orientation on Aug. 3 and the first half-day of classes on Aug. 4. Meet the Tigers is scheduled for Aug. 10, with the high school football jamboree set for Aug. 14.
He also reported the district has filled four teaching vacancies and is fully staffed heading into the 2026-27 school year.