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Staff recommends moving Bluff City High from tier 3 probation to tier 2 after mixed results; commissioners demand school representative at full meeting
Summary
Staff recommended moving Bluff City High from tier‑3 probation to tier‑2 intervention after staff cited measurable academic gains, but commissioners demanded Bluff City leadership appear at the full commission meeting to answer questions about chronic absenteeism and turnover.
Commission staff recommended reclassifying Bluff City High School from tier‑3 intervention (probation) to tier‑2 at the Jan. 23 committee meeting, citing measurable academic gains over the prior year while also identifying significant ongoing issues.
Data and site visit: Deputy Director Maggie Lund presented data showing improvements at Bluff City, including a letter grade increase from F to C and TVAAS (growth) that rose from “far below” to “exceeding standard.” Lund said the school’s TBOS results and some subgroup comparative performance improved and she described strengths noted during an autumn site visit: returning principal Everett, calmer classrooms and engaged students and parents. “It is ultimately my recommendation to move Bluff City from a tier 3 intervention to a tier 2 intervention,” Lund said.
Outstanding concerns: Commissioners pressed staff on persistent problems. Commissioner Griscom said chronic absenteeism—roughly in the mid‑50s percent range—remained very high and said that, despite gains in growth metrics, the absenteeism and high teacher and leadership turnover raised doubts about moving the school off probation. Lund and other staff said staff and the network are addressing leadership and staffing gaps and that the network has placed interim supports in the school; staff said they meet with the school bimonthly to monitor the plan of correction.
Commission action and next steps: Committee members agreed the recommendation deserved fuller consideration. The committee moved to forward the recommendation to the full commission for discussion and asked that Bluff City provide a representative to speak to the commission at the full meeting before any final decision is made. Commissioners said the school’s renewal application (10‑year renewal) is upcoming and that 2024–25 results will be material to that renewal decision.
Ending: Staff will include Bluff City leadership in the full commission discussion; commissioners signaled they want evidence of sustained improvement, particularly in attendance and staffing stability, before endorsing a long renewal.
