MNPS superintendent touts gains in ‘Every Student Known’ address; board adopts agenda and consent items

At a Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools board meeting, Dr. Adrienne Battle, superintendent of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, delivered the district’s annual State of Schools presentation and highlighted academic gains, expanded early college opportunities, and a rapid $5,000,000 fundraising drive for three elementary schools.

Battle opened the presentation by saying, “The 2024-25 school year was a powerful chapter in the story of Nashville Public Schools,” and repeated the district mantra “Every student known” as the organizing principle behind the initiatives she described.

The presentation summarized several concrete outcomes from the 2024-25 school year: the district has been a Level 5 district for three consecutive years; Whites Creek High School’s enrollment has grown by nearly 50 percent in recent years and its first cohort of early-college students graduated this spring with associate degrees; an early-college program cohort of 21 students earned associate degrees before receiving high school diplomas; student songwriting and media projects earned an Emmy; and the district’s overall graduation rate reached a record high (exact rate not specified in the presentation).

Battle and presenters credited expanded staffing and supports for the gains. The presentation described classroom associates as school-employed staff who help with small groups, substitute duties, planning and one-on-one student supports. According to the presentation, school resource officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department were deployed frequently at some campuses; presenters said officers are present an average of three to four days per week through a voluntary overtime program and that officers participate in school activities as part of relationship-building (the presentation used the district’s video and guest remarks to make this point).

Speakers in the presentation credited the early-college and dual-enrollment programs with saving families “thousands of dollars” by allowing students to earn college credit while in high school. A student featured in the presentation said the early-college experience “gave me the backbone to keep continuing on in any further education that I wanted to.”

Fundraising and facility investments were a major point: presenters said the district’s community partners and donors raised $5,000,000 in 67 days to support work on Percy Priest and two other elementary schools (Lakeview Elementary and Paragon Mills were named in the presentation). The presentation described that fundraising as intended to ensure equity across the three projects and to change future educational specifications so elementary schools include full-size gymnasiums and community spaces.

The presentation also highlighted district programs such as the University of MNPS paid college pathway (presenters cited placements including Vanderbilt and Tennessee State University) and the classroom songwriting summit that gave students recording and performance experiences.

Board business at the meeting included two formal actions on the record. Member May moved to adopt the meeting agenda; Member Young seconded the motion. The board approved the agenda unanimously. Later the board approved the consent agenda; the clerk recorded that the consent motion passed 8 to 0.

The board announced it will not meet during the first July meeting and that its next meeting will be July 22. No new policy adoptions or budget votes were taken during this session; the State of Schools presentation was informational. The presentation and related videos are available through Metro Nashville’s online channels, according to the meeting close.

Ending: The presentation emphasized continuing the district’s instructional and community partnerships and scaling programs that produce the district’s reported gains. The board adjourned after approving the agenda and consent items and noting the next meeting date.