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Kingsport superintendent: 'Great start' to school year; personal device restrictions get positive early feedback
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Hampton reported a positive first week of classes on Aug. 12, highlighting early favorable responses to a new personal device policy, stable district enrollment at about 7,361 students, and academic recognitions including Dobyns-Bennett’s state ranking and 83 perfect subject-level TCAP scores across the district.
Superintendent Dr. Hampton told the Kingsport City Schools Board of Education on Aug. 12 that the district had a strong first week of the 2025–26 school year and that early indicators suggest the district’s new personal device policy is improving student engagement.
“ We’ve had a great start to the school year,” Dr. Hampton said. He reported that teachers, administrators and students have been “eager and engaged” and that staff had prepared over the summer. On the new personal device policy, Dr. Hampton said the district saw favorable results and noted teachers reported increases in engagement and fewer distractions; board members voiced support for the early outcome during the meeting.
Dr. Hampton reported preliminary enrollment of about 7,361 students as of the end of the prior day, with small shifts (slightly higher in grades 6–12, slightly lower in K–5) and roughly a 20-student difference from the same date last year. He also highlighted academic recognitions: Dobyns-Bennett High School was named among the state’s top high schools by Niche (ranked 19th overall and eighth if charter and magnet schools are excluded), and the district recorded 83 perfect subject-level TCAP scores across 10 schools (68 from grades 3–8 achievement tests and 15 from end-of-course tests).
Dr. Hampton said the district implemented a new badge-based alert system (referred to in the meeting as Syntegix) for staff to escalate incidents and that staff training on the system has been completed. He outlined several upcoming dates for the board and district: the TSBA fall district meeting on Aug. 25, a work session on Aug. 26, a business meeting on Sept. 9 and other fall events including a November data retreat and a TSBA convention in November.
No formal board action was taken on the superintendent’s report; it was presented for information and scheduling.
