CUMBERLAND COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE USES ‘CAUSE AND EFFECT TOOL’
The Crossville Chronicle reports that the Cumberland County Board of Education’s middle schools special committee explored a “Cause and Effect matrix” tool, designed by Board Chairman Scott VanWinkle, to guide decisions on implementing middle schools.
This spreadsheet outlines key considerations across categories like academics, facilities, cost, food services, transportation, CDC, and maintenance, with sub-categories for affected student supports. It incorporates a ranked priority weighting system (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) to prioritize outcomes over costs and a rating scale (0, 1, 3, 9) to assess impacts, encouraging definitive choices.
Potential options include doing nothing, rezoning, building new facilities, or repurposing existing schools, with further refinements expected. The committee seeks subject-matter experts to assist in using the tool, pending full board approval, to narrow down to the top three to five options for deeper analysis. The committee aims to propose three viable options by May 2026, adhering to board policy.
VanWinkle was elected committee chair, with Nicholas Davis absent.
The full board will discuss the matrix and middle school plans at its October 9, 2025, work session in Crossville.
