Pleasantview update: kindergarten fluency jumps and district expands CTE, summer programming and homeless coalition work

At the June 5 meeting of the Cheatham County Board of Education, Pleasantview principal Nicole Gower and district staff reported on school improvement goals, instructional initiatives and community partnerships that the district will continue or expand in 2025–26.

Gower, identified as principal of Pleasantview, said the school’s theme for the year was “Together We Can, Every Day, Every Day.” She reported the school adopted a district bionics program partnership with a university and recorded a large improvement in kindergarten reading fluency measured by aimsweb — from 16% to 62% — a figure the principal said the school uses in RTI and weekly PLC work. “We made some huge gains,” Gower said, while acknowledging more progress is needed to reach grade-level targets.

Gower described classroom- and school-level supports including an RTI interventionist, weekly collaborative meeting time for grade-level teams, a librarian-led “100 Book Challenge,” and one-to-one devices in upper elementary grades. She also described student enrichment activities — Innovators classes, community field trips, art night, and student council service projects such as chemo-care bags and planting a memorial tree.

District partnerships and community engagement: a staff presenter summarized work on the district’s five‑year plan for community engagement. Highlights included piloted “listen and learn” luncheons at middle schools, a video series showcasing high‑school CTE programs, and continuation of a district partnership with the Cheatham County Homeless Coalition. The district said coalition canvassing in January yielded a point-in-time count of 15 individuals in vehicles or encampments across the county.

Summer and early-literacy programs: the district reported Book STEAMBUS summer programming (ag week completed), and that the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation will provide six free books this summer for eligible first- through third-graders. The district also said East Cheatham and Pegram elementaries are piloting the Kids Read Now summer book program for rising third-graders, funded with Title I dollars. The district announced school-supply giveaways scheduled for July 19 (Kingston Springs Elementary) and a county back-to-school event on July 26 at Riverfront Park.

Career and CTE outreach: staff reported the May 9 career fair drew about 60 Middle Tennessee businesses — the largest fair to date — and the district will continue hosting CTE advisory meetings at the three high schools to link teachers, students and industry partners.

The board did not take action on these informational items; staff requested and received direction to continue the described programs and partnerships.