Sumner County School Board approves K–12 science materials selection, accepts North Sumner window bid

The Sumner County School Board on March 18 approved the district'level selection of new K'12 science instructional materials and accepted a $599,900 bid from Boger Construction for window replacement at North Sumner Elementary School.

The board'approved selection of elementary, middle and high school science resources following a months'long review of state'approved vendors and local pilot use. Miss Skinner of the instruction department, who led the selection process, said the committee'based recommendation will move to the budget process for final adoption: "We have to select a curriculum, but adoption is when you all approve it in the budget," she told the board.

Why it matters: Tennessee adopted new science standards in 2022 and released an approved list of instructional resources in late 2024. The district'level choice dictates what teachers will use in classrooms and sets the schedule for teacher professional learning ahead of full classroom implementation next school year.

Board action and what was approved - Textbook selection: The board voted to approve the district committee'recommended K'12 science instructional materials. The middle school recommendation was STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning; elementary and high school recommendations were presented as the committee'preferred options (elementary and some high'school course selections were described as unanimous or having reached committee consensus). Miss Skinner said the district will provide professional learning this summer and implement the materials in classrooms starting in August.

- North Sumner Elementary windows: Director Dr. Ryan Langford recommended awarding the window replacement contract to Boger Construction, a Sumner County contractor that previously worked on similar projects for the district. The board approved the $599,900 contract during the new business portion of the meeting.

Key details from the meeting - Selection process: Miss Skinner described a multi'month process that began in October and included committees of teachers, instructional coaches, principals and parents. The committee used a rubric of "nonnegotiables" (standards alignment, hands'on activities, online capability, teacher usability and assessment/TCAP alignment) and conducted in'district pilots, publisher caravans and community review sessions before voting in February.

- Rationale: Committee members said they prioritized materials that are standards aligned, phenomenon driven and provide hands'on learning and practice items that match the new TCAP-style assessment expectations. For middle grades the committee recommended STEMscopes, citing strong standards alignment and practice items that require data analysis rather than rote memorization.

- Implementation timeline and costs: The instruction team said professional learning will be provided this summer, with classroom implementation beginning in August. Specific budget figures for the textbooks were not presented during the selection vote; Miss Skinner noted adoption requires budget approval and the figures will be reflected in the district budget process.

- Procurement decision: Dr. Langford told the board the district opened bids for North Sumner Elementary and that the lowest bid was from an out'of'state company. He said district policy favors the "lowest and best bid," and recommended Boger Construction because the local firm has completed comparable projects for Sumner County Schools and is on a tight timeline to complete work between school years.

Other director-level updates - Safety training: Dr. Langford reported the district contracted Defense Systems to provide training before spring break for nearly 6,000 employees and said the training was "empowering, not terrifying," noting teachers and staff praised the sessions. He also thanked Long Hollow Baptist Church for providing the venue.

- Facilities progress: Dr. Langford gave a status update on multiple athletic and construction projects across the district, including work at Gallatin High School, Hendersonville High School, Station Camp High School, Portland High School and others. He said some projects are on tight timelines and require coordination with city permitting and vendors.

- Planetarium donation: The Hendersonville Morning Rotary Club and other Rotary clubs in Sumner County purchased a large inflatable, transportable planetarium the district will take to schools. Dr. Langford said the club members and the instruction department will host a public demonstration and that the device will be used for school visits.

What the board discussed and directed Board members asked questions about accessibility features, community input and how materials support new assessment formats. Mr. Evans asked about multilingual and read'aloud accessibility for student materials; Miss Skinner said most middle'school resources have full online access and the district's iPad configuration provides accessibility features. Several board members praised the instruction team and noted the selection process included teacher pilots and limited but useful community feedback.

Ending Board members passed the motions by voice vote and moved on to other agenda items, including budget amendments and study'session planning. Miss Skinner and the instruction department said they will return with budget figures for final adoption of the materials and a schedule for summer professional learning.