On the agenda: Dalton BOE meets July 21: Agenda includes revisions to Code of Conduct and discipline procedures 

Published 8:30 am Saturday, July 19, 2025

The Dalton Public Schools Board of Education (DPS BOE) will meet for the monthly work session and board meeting on Monday, July 21. Typically held on the second Monday of each month, the board meeting for July was scheduled for later in the month, and the Board met on July 7 for discussion and a public hearing on the 2024 property tax rate, as well as additional budgetary discussions.

As reported on July 12 by the Dalton Daily Citizen, at the July 7 meeting, members of the Dalton Board of Education unanimously voted to set the final millage rate at 8.0 mills instead of the tentative millage rate of 8.25 mills, which would have been an increase of 1.945 mills and would have required an increase in property taxes by 30.85%. With the approved rate of 8.0 mills, the ending fund balance for Dalton Public Schools’ final approved budget for FY (fiscal year) 26 decreases from $20.2 million to $17.7 million.

The July 21 DPS BOE work session will begin at 4:30 p.m. and includes five agenda items.

First, Board members will hear an update on district capital projects for Roan School, a facility serving PreK to fifth grade in Northeast Dalton, The Dalton Academy, Fort Hill and the 101 stairwell from Rusty Lount, director of operations.

As reported by the DDC in June, construction is underway that will convert the old Fort Hill School building at 104 Fort Hill Terrace into the school system’s new central office. Built in 1911, the building was originally home to the city’s Fort Hill School and most recently housed Morris Innovative High School for the district until 2021 with the opening of Hammond Creek Middle School. During a June 9 meeting of the DPS BOE, Superintendent Steven Craft said the cost would be “somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million.”

Next, Craft will update Board members on proposed amendments to the DPS Code of Conduct and attendance regulations. According to agenda documentation, the key amendments proposed for the district’s Code of Conduct include the additions regarding AI and technology offenses, threat classification, gang recruitment, a mooning/pantsing definition, as well as legal compliance updates, revisions to the Resilience Program, expanded bus expectations and more.

Agenda documentation regarding the proposed updates to the district’s attendance regulations include the following chart:

“Additional documentation on this agenda item is available here and here.

Next on the agenda is an update by Mendy Woods, Chief of Human Resources, on several topics, including FY 26 staffing, a FMLA policy update, the 2025-26 Employee Handbook and the Sick Leave Bank Annual Report.

Board members are also expected to review the agenda items for the regular board meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

The regular meeting agenda includes:

Recognition of the Dalton High School soccer team and the Dalton High School baseball team for their achievements.

Superintendent and department reports.

Review/approval of June financial reports.

Approval of revisions to the Dalton Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Procedures.

Approval of Felker Construction as the construction company for the stairwell project at the 101 Central Office Building for an amount of $82,315.

Approval of an initial Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) #1 in the amount of $777,476 to renovate Fort Hill as presented by Felker Construction Company. This initial GMP will be for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, dehumidification, windows, fire alarm, metal stud framing, batt insulation, drywall and acoustical ceiling in the North Building. An explanation of GMP is available on the Acquisition.gov website, as well as an overview of the Construction Manager at Risk project delivery method.

Approval of updates to board policy regarding restrictions on participation in coaching and extracurricular activities while on approved Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave.

Adoption of changes to the district’s Internet Acceptable Use Policy. A copy of the proposed policy is available here.

Approval of designing the old Big Read Reads vehicle and various tables and chairs as surplus.

Included under the agenda item for approval of proposals, bids or contracts of $50,000 or higher are:

Approval of the FY26 Local Educational Agency (LEA) Fiscal Agent Assurances to the Georgia Department of Education Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Services (GNETS) Program-NorthStar in the amount of $247,215.

Approval of service provider agreements for the Special Education program, including a contract with Gifted Healthcare for a Special Education teacher for an amount not to exceed $101,080 pending review and acceptance of contractual language; and a contract with Aveanna for a nurse to provide one-to-one service per Individualized Education Program (IEP) for an amount not to exceed $91,296 pending review and acceptance of contractual language.

Approval of the contract with ESS Staffing for substitute services for the 2024-25 school year, including the following pricing plan:

Both the work session and the regular meeting will be held in the City Park School auditorium and will be livestreamed at daltonpublicschools.com/page/board-meeting-live-stream. All meetings and work sessions of the DPS BOE are open to the public, with the exception of executive sessions entered into for legally-approved purposes, which include some personnel matters, some real estate transactions and some litigation discussions.