By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The Moore County School Board voted unanimously Monday night to adopt a new, one-page visitor code of conduct, replacing a longer policy that had been in place for several years and that some board members said was difficult for parents and visitors to read at a glance.
Board members said the shorter version, modeled on a policy used by another Tennessee school district, still meets legal requirements.
The underlying rules for visitors are largely unchanged. Visitors are barred from campus during the instructional day except for school programs, athletic events, open houses and similar public events. Anyone visiting must sign in at the front office, have a driver’s license scanned to enter the building, and wear a visitor badge, and a principal or designee must approve access to any other part of the building or campus. The policy also lists conduct that will not be tolerated from visitors under any circumstances, including cursing, threats of harm, possession of a weapon and physical attacks, and says violators can be asked to leave and barred from school property in the future. The school district’s attorney, Charles W. Cagle, reviewed the policy and certified it as legally compliant, as required under Tennessee law.
Unlike the previous policy, which ran several pages and leaned heavily on citations to state law, the new version distinguishes between conduct expected during the school day and conduct expected at athletic events and other extracurricular activities.
The motion to adopt the new code of conduct passed unanimously with support from Chairperson Tanya Vann, as well as board members Ed Cashion, Carrie Barnett, Kaleigh Hatfield and Greg Thompson.
The Moore County School Board meets on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at either the Board of Education Building located behind the elementary school or at the Moore County High School library. •
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