Band directors thank board for $8,000 allocation; district highlights farm-to-school, solar CTE and student awards

"We were able to do this year because of the funding," Sycamore band directors told the Cheatham County School Board, thanking the board for a $3,000 allocation to Sycamore Middle and $5,000 to Sycamore High that the presenters said paid for new instruments, repairs and accessories the programs otherwise would not have afforded this year.

On the presentations-and-awards portion of the meeting, two band directors identified only by their first names — Melissa (Sycamore Middle School band director) and Penelope (Sycamore High School band director) — described how the board allocation allowed both schools to acquire a new tuba, concert toms and duplicate drum-line equipment so middle and high school ensembles each have a set. The directors said the funding accelerated repairs and purchases that otherwise would have taken several years and noted the high school hopes to raise roughly $11,000 to replace a full drum line.

Both directors reported competitive success: the district entered three groups in Concert Performance Assessment this year (seventh grade, eighth grade and the high school concert band) and the presenters said all three received "superior" ratings, the highest possible score at the event. The directors credited the ability to operate as a unified sixth-through-12th program for consistent expectations and smoother transitions for students.

District staff and school representatives also presented other student recognitions: Sycamore High School technology students placed third in animatronics at a regional Technology Student Association competition; Cheetah FFA reported state-level awards including a superior chapter award and a gold-level PLOW (Passing Literacy Onward) award; HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) competitors from Juneau County Central High School placed in state competitions and qualified for international competition. The board received multiple certificates and gave the students applause.

Chris Cooper, presenting a five-year plan update, told the board the district has made progress on farm-to-school initiatives and sustainable-practice goals. Cooper said composting equipment and greenhouse work are underway at several schools, beekeeping and an apiary site have been funded and the district expects a small, student-produced batch of honey in the fall as part of the farm-to-school project. He also said a solar initiative final report was completed and that the state Department of Education and partners have developed a new Career and Technical Education pathway in sustainable energy using the district's program as one of the models.

The meeting also included a series of employee recognitions and an employee-of-the-month presentation naming multiple staff across the district for service and student support.

Clarifying details from presentations - Sycamore Middle School: $3,000 allocation this school year; needs include a snare drum and a bass clarinet. - Sycamore High School: $5,000 allocation this school year; the drum-line replacement was estimated at about $11,000. - Farm-to-school: greenhouse and raised-bed projects, composting equipment deliveries and beekeeping infrastructure are in progress; staff said the goal is to include sustainable-practices instruction in K–8 by 2027.

No formal board action was required for the presentations; they were informational. The board thanked the presenters and gave certificates and applause.