Students from Morgan County Schools addressed the Morgan County Board of Education during the board’s meeting to thank members for Board Member Appreciation Month and to present results from a new leadership program called NCS Leads.

Cali Schwitters, a junior at Brewer High School, said the program aims to bring student leaders together across the county. “The purpose of this slideshow and us all being here today is to truly just to say thank you to all of you for the opportunities that we made possible for the students of Morgan County,” Schwitters said.

The program, which board staff and central office personnel described as a countywide student leadership education and development initiative, assembled a group of students selected via applications distributed by principals. “The principals did. They pushed out the applications and then, we sat down and we reviewed those applications. And we let all the people at the central office kind of look through them, and we blind judged them,” said Mister Adams, a Morgan County Schools staff member, describing the selection process.

Students used the meeting to outline what they learned and to offer feedback. Jackson Morris, a senior at Brewer High School, said student ambassadors used community service and fundraising to support peers countywide and credited board decisions with enabling student contests and travel. “What y’all do behind the scenes is the reason we're able to do, like all of us are able to do these cool things as leaders,” Morris said.

Other students described career-technical and extracurricular opportunities that they said were supported by the district. Addison Graham, a senior at Crossville High School, described completing a health-science internship and said, if she passes a certification test in April, she will graduate with a patient care technician credential in addition to a high school diploma. Madison Swopes, a senior at West Morgan High School, recounted participating in over 20 SCCLA trips and marching in a parade at Walt Disney World.

Students also identified areas for improvement. According to Mister Adams, students raised concerns about student-athlete issues and mental health during group discussions and suggested that student leaders could help the district identify where to focus improvements. “Sometimes their perspective — that's what's gonna make a difference,” Adams said about including student voice in continuous improvement work.

Board members thanked the students and praised the program. Mister Holly, a board member, said he was proud of the students’ presentations. Mister Roberts, Mister Glenn and Mister Turner each spoke in support of the students’ leadership and encouraged continued involvement.

Mister Adams said the district intends to expand the program next year by adding more students and keeping a core group of juniors to carry it forward. Staff also mentioned plans for broader outreach tied to rural development, including a media outreach effort scheduled for January 24; the transcript records that date as a planned media blast but does not provide additional details about scope or content.

No formal votes or motions on the program were recorded in the transcript segment provided. The presentations took place during the board’s appreciation segment and public remarks and were followed by board-member comments and thanks.

The board and staff said they plan to continue involving the NCS Leads students in future improvement processes; staff indicated the program will be expanded next year and that student participants will be used as a resource for district planning and community engagement.