The Cumberland County Board of Education held their monthly meeting last night.

The Pledge of Allegiance was done by Aiden Fox and Samantha Altum, students at Pine View Elementary School.

The monthly spotlight was The Phoenix School. The board learned about the success of the maintenance and light auto repair program at the school and the pathway coach who assist students with setting and reaching their goals once they graduate. The transition academy was also featured at the school. This program assists special education students with job skills once they graduate.

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

Payton Wyatt, a student at Stone Elementary School, was honored for being a national FCCLA award winner. Wyatt competed and won a bronze medal at district and a gold medal at state. She went to nationals in California and placed first with a perfect score of 100.

The board recognized four schools in the system for being named Reward Schools by the state. Homestead, Stone, South and Martin Elementary School received the honor. These schools achieved an overall accountability score greater than or equal to 3.1, considered an advancing score.

Dr. Robert Wood with the CSW Foundation presented several checks to organizations within the schools in Cumberland County. The mission of the foundation is to provide support to the students, teachers, coaches and volunteers of Cumberland County schools who requests funds for a variety of needs. The following received checks last night:

Brown Elementary School – After School Program – $500

Crab Orchard Elementary School – Science Department – $300

Crab Orchard Elementary School – Jr. Beta Club – $300

Homestead Elementary School – Band – $300

Homestead Elementary School – Archery Club – $300

Martin Elementary School – Music Department – $300

Martin Elementary School – Kindergarten – $300

North Elementary School – Lights On After School Program – $300

North Elementary School – Music Department – $300

Pine View Elementary School – School Wide Positive Behavior Program – $200

Pine View Elementary School – Jr. Beta – $200

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – 4^th grade class – $300

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – boys basketball – $300

South Elementary School – 3^rd grade class – $260

Stone Elementary School – Family and Friends Connect – $300

Stone Elementary School – School Wide Positive Behavior – $300

CCHS – cheerleaders – $300

CCHS – Lady Jets Volleyball – $300

CCHS – HOSA Club – $500

CCHS – Theatrics/Drama Club – $250

CCHS – Duel Enrollment – $500

CCHS – French Club – $250

SMHS – FCCLA – $500

SMHS – Future Business Leaders of America – $250

SMHS – history club – $100

SMHS – Food Pantry – $90

SMHS – Science Department – $500

SMHS – Beta Club – $500

SMHS – Chess Club – $200

Phoenix School – School Positive Behavior – $300

Phoenix School – student council – $300

BUILDING PROJECTS REPORT

Kim Chamberlin gave a building project report to the board. The CCHS stadium renovation project is complete and the stadium is ready for the Jets first home game August 30, 2019. The board is also looking at additional railings to be installed at the stadium on the Stanley Street side and from the concession stands leading up to the seating at the stadium. This will cost just over $5,800 and would be used out of contingency funds. The board voted to send this to the county budget committee for their approval. The new Crab Orchard Elementary School construction is going well. There are no issues and the project is scheduled to be completed by mid to late September. The board also unanimously approved naming the automotive shops at Cumberland County High School and Stone Memorial High School in honor of Dave Kirk. A plaque will be presented to him for the honor in October.

FUNDRAISING REQUEST FROM MARTIN ELEMENTARY JR. BETA DRAWS DEBATE

The Cumberland County Board of Education learned of a unique fundraising request brought before them last night by the Jr. Beta Club at Martin Elementary.

The club will be awarded a collectible display of a six millionth barrel of bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Only 400 of these are presented to clubs and organizations as a way to raise money. The display includes a bottle of bourbon, a piece of the barrel it was aged in and information about the historic achievement. School Board Attorney Earl Patton reached the opinion that the school could legally accept the donation but suggested a third party away from the school handle the liquidation and fundraising effort. That third party was revealed to be Greg and Kim Tabor. The money raised would be used to help supplement the cost of students attending the Tennessee State Junior Beta Convention in Nashville as well as a trip to New York City in May of 2020.

However, school board member Robbie Safdie said the board should not be endorsing or promoting alcohol or liquor in a fundraising event. he gave a brief reason of why. “We have lost three students in the past for alcohol related incidents.”

The matter was put to a vote and school board members Safdie, Brock, Netherton and Hamby voted no while Stone, Boston, Parris and Inman voted yes. It was a tie and the motion failed. School board member Stace Karge was not in attendance for the meeting. The matter can be brought back up at the next school board meeting in September.

TOTAL OF STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOLS IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY

The board reviews a report shows nearly 7,300 students currently enrolled in schools in the county. Of that total in the two high schools, 1,022 attend Stone Memorial, 1004 go to Cumberland County High and 36 are at The Phoenix School. In the elementary schools, Stone Elementary has 740 followed by Martin with 735, Homestead at 714, North with 632, Pleasant Hill at 609, South with 604, Brown at 558, Crab Orchard with 442 and 162 students at Pine View.

SCHOOL DATA REPORT RELEASED

A comprehensive report was released to the board of education regarding school data for the 2018-2019 Cumberland County school year. The 22-page report breaks down several areas of academic percentages for the year. The report says:

DISTRICT ACHIEVEMENT GRADES 3-8^th

(percent of students scoring on-track or mastered)

MATH – 40.8 in 2019. This is up from 40 percent from the 2018 school year and down from the 44.1 percent in the 2017 school year. The state average in 2019 was 40.8 percent.

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) – 35.6 percent in 2019. This is down from the 35.7 percent in 2018 and 36.4 percent in 2017. The state average in 2019 is 33.7 percent

SOCIAL STUDIES – 42.5 percent in 2019. This is up from 41.6 percent in 2018. The state average in 2019 is 40.9 percent.

SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN MATH GRADES 3 – 8^TH – STATE AVERAGE 40.8

South Elementary School – 58.4 percent

Homestead Elementary School – 45.8 percent

Brown Elementary School – 44.4 percent

Pine View Elementary School – 44.1 percent

Martin Elementary School – 40.8 percent

Stone Elementary School – 37.9 percent

Crab Orchard Elementary School – 34.6 percent

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – 32.6 percent

North Elementary School – 30 percent

SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN ELA GRADES 3 – 8TH – STATE AVERAGE 33.7

South Elementary School – 48.4 percent

Homestead Elementary School – 42.4 percent

Pine View Elementary School – 41.6 percent

Martin Elementary School – 35.7 percent

Brown Elementary School – 33.4 percent

Stone Elementary School – 33.1 percent

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – 32.6 percent

Crab Orchard Elementary School – 31 percent

North Elementary School – 25.1 percent

SCHOOL DISTRICT ACHIEVEMENT – EOC

Algebra I – 28.4 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 27.4

Algebra II – 30.8 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 27.4

Geometry – 38.4 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 33.9

English I – 35.9 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 32.7

English II – 48 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 42.7

U.S. History – 29.2 percent in 2019. State average in 2019 is 28.6

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM

(Percentage of students who missed 18 days or more in the 2018-2019 school year)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – 12.3 percent

Pine View Elementary School – 12.1 percent

Martin Elementary School – 10.5 percent

Stone Elementary School – 10.3 percent

Brown and Crab Orchard Elementary School – 9.9 percent

North Elementary School – 9.7 percent

Homestead Elementary School – 5.5 percent

South Elementary School – 5.2 percent

HIGH SCHOOLS

The Phoenix School – 57.1 percent

Stone Memorial High School 15.7 percent

Cumberland County High School – 15.1 percent

READY GRADUATE

(percentage of seniors ready for college or work place)

Stone Memorial High School – 55.3 percent

Cumberland County High School – 44.3 percent

The Phoenix School – 6.2 percent

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS DISTRICT FINAL DETERMINATION

(scores are MARGINAL with a 1.1 or less, SATISFACTORY with a 1.1 to a 2.1, ADVANCING with a 2.1 to 3.1, and EXEMPLARY with a 3.1 to 4)

Overall average – 2.8 which is considered advancing in the state. District is meeting growth expectations on average in Tennessee

South Elementary School – 3.4 (REWARD SCHOOL)

Martin Elementary School – 3.2 (REWARD SCHOOL)

Stone and Homestead Elementary School – 3.1 (REWARD SCHOOLS)

Pine View Elementary School – 2.8

CCHS and SMHS – 2.4

Pleasant Hill Elementary School – 2.3

Brown Elementary School – 2.1

The Phoenix School – 1.8

Crab Orchard Elementary School – 1.7

North Elementary School – 1.4

 

CO-OP WITH CROSSVILLE CHRISTIAN FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS

The board approved a request for a co-op with Crossville Christian for middle school athletic participation. School board member Jim Inman said they shouldn’t treat a private school in Cumberland County any different than one being home schooled. Law states a home school student can try out for athletics in public schools in Tennessee. The board then unanimously approved a one year agreement with Crossville Christian. That is to be reviewed and possibly renewed each year.