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Tullahoma fine-arts coordinator cites program growth, honors and concerns about extracurricular funding and curriculum
Summary
Fine arts coordinator Sarah McBain told the Tullahoma City Schools board on March 11 that student participation and achievements in music, theater and visual arts are increasing, while some elementary teachers are buying curriculum out of pocket and after-school choir reimbursement remains inconsistent across schools.
Sarah McBain, fine arts coordinator for Tullahoma City Schools, updated the board on student recognitions, program growth and funding challenges at the March 11 meeting.
McBain highlighted recent student successes: the Tullahoma High School wrestling team's state results (recognized earlier in the meeting), multiple students chosen for regional and state honor ensembles, and three students accepted to the Governor's School for the Arts. She said eight students were selected for the Tennessee Treble All-State Honor Choir this year, with seven coming from Bel Air Elementary.
"We are fully staffed. We are well represented in all programs across all schools," McBain said, adding that choir, band and theater participation had grown in the district. She told the board about high ratings at recent state concert performance assessments, including the high school women's chorale receiving a "superior" rating for the first time in Tullahoma High School history and strong results from honor band and choir students.
McBain also listed district arts-program highlights: a successful Fine Arts Night with large community attendance, student-led theater productions while staff were on leave, collaboration with Career and Technical Education on a mural project, and teacher recognition such as Kelly Orr receiving a Tennessee Arts Academy "teacher hero" mention.
On funding and curriculum, McBain said some elementary teachers are purchasing curriculum materials out of pocket and that middle- and elementary-level choir directors currently receive no reimbursement for extracurricular choirs. She said part of that shortfall stems from the end of certain grant funding and that districts sometimes use Title IV or small stipends to cover extracurricular music activities. "We don't want teachers having to buy their own curriculum," she told the board.
McBain said the district applied and was chosen in phase 1 as one of the top 10 schools for the Tennessee Arts Academy recognition and is preparing a publicity video and written materials for phase 2. She also noted that the district has been named among the Best Communities for Music Education applicants and expected notification in April.
Board members and Dr. Stevens thanked McBain for the report and for the work supporting students across multiple fine-arts disciplines. Dr. Stevens also invited the board to a public gallery opening at the central office showcasing student work.
What board heard and requested
- Student achievements: several students advanced to state and national honor ensembles; three students accepted to Governor's School for the Arts.
- Program supports: district-funded teacher attendance at state arts conferences and expanded teacher representation at Tennessee Arts Academy.
- Funding gaps: McBain asked the board to consider district-level solutions so teachers are not purchasing curriculum materials personally and to explore reimbursement or stipend options for after-school choir directors; she cited Title IV and local stipend practices used in other districts as possible models.
- Next steps: administration and the fine-arts office to continue work on curriculum alignment, seek sustainable funding paths for extracurricular choir reimbursement, and complete the Tennessee Arts Academy phase-2 submission.
