BOE Called Meeting 8.18.2026

The Washington County, Tennessee Board of Education held a called meeting on August 18, 2026. Public commenters raised concerns about noise from a newly installed school HVAC cooling tower, reporting sound levels above residential limits and questioning whether quieter equipment had been selected. They requested an independent acoustic evaluation and consideration of engineering or operational remedies. The transcript records no board action on the request. In the superintendent search discussion, the board approved Policy 5802’s minimum qualifications and voted to set a minimum salary of $155,000; the discussion noted that compensation above the minimum could be negotiated based on experience and qualifications, with a performance bonus determined annually by the board.

The board also discussed the sale and future use of the old Jonesboro school property, including possible daycare and central-office uses and related facility and infrastructure questions. Members said the district lacked funds to undertake development work without a firm offer and cited an estimated $2.2–$2.3 million cost to demolish the middle-school building. A motion was made and seconded to create an intergovernmental task force involving school, county, and Jonesborough representatives to develop recommendations; the transcript does not clearly record a vote on that motion. No property sale, contract award, or construction expenditure was approved in the transcript.