Hardy County Board approves wellness, parent-engagement policies, new bus and assistant superintendent

The Hardy County Board of Education approved multiple policy and personnel items Monday, voting to adopt a student and staff wellness policy, to revise its Title I family-engagement wording, to purchase a 77‑passenger Bluebird bus and to appoint Jennifer Strong as assistant superintendent for the 2026–27 school year.

Board members first approved routine consent items and then moved to unfinished business, where the Student and Staff Wellness Policy (JF) passed after a short discussion about water availability and breakfast menus in district cafeterias. A board member asked, “How is that water other than the bottled water that they sell? How are students able to get that?” Administration representatives said free drinking water is available in cafeterias and that some kitchens use coolers with cups when fountains are not present. The policy was approved on a motion and second.

The board also approved a Title I-related policy (KDI/KBI) that replaces the term “involvement” with “engagement” throughout the document; members asked staff to run a search and update all remaining instances before final publication. The district’s motion to proceed with the revised Title I wording passed on a motion and second.

On procurement, the board approved action related to a refrigeration bid after noting that no bids were returned; members asked that future bid materials be circulated in advance of meetings. The board then approved purchase of a Bluebird 77‑passenger diesel school bus after a brief funding discussion about prior-year carryover and price differences. Administration said the new bus is awaiting inspection and will be put into service promptly to preserve warranty coverage.

In personnel actions, the board approved a package of leaves, hirings, resignations and volunteers as read into the record by administration. The final personnel item on the agenda was the appointment of Jennifer Strong (listed in the packet as “Jennifer Strodman” in one spot) as assistant superintendent, effective the 2026–27 school year; the motion carried with one vote recorded as opposed.

The meeting closed with routine announcements and reminders about upcoming meetings, including a quick June 15 session to accept levy rates.

Votes at a glance
- Consent items: approved (motion) — no tally recorded.
- Policy JF (Student and Staff Wellness Policy): approved (motion) — no tally recorded.
- Policy KDI/KBI (Title I parent/guardian involvement → engagement): approved (first reading/approval with minor wording edits) — no tally recorded.
- Refrigeration bid (no bids returned): approved to proceed/handle for 2026–27 — no tally recorded.
- Bus purchase (Bluebird 77-passenger diesel): approved (contract purchase) — no tally recorded.
- Facility use (Max Fundamentals basketball): approved — no tally recorded.
- Executive session for consultation: convened and returned with no action taken.
- Superintendent evaluation: completed in executive session; board reported superintendent met goals.
- Personnel package (leaves, hires, resignations, volunteers): approved en masse — no tally recorded.
- Appointment of assistant superintendent (Jennifer Strong / packet shows ‘Strodman’): approved (appointment) — one opposed noted.

The board recorded few roll-call tallies in the minutes provided; outcomes listed above reflect motions and the board’s announcements rather than published vote counts.