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Superintendent reports steady enrollment, staff changes, summer camp plans and facility updates
Summary
District administrators reported roughly flat enrollment, several staff resignations, plans for a summer learning camp and facility updates including a field-house foundation concern and a possible LPN program classroom conversion contingent on grant funding.
District administrators briefed the Trousdale County Board of Education on enrollment, staffing changes, summer programming, safety review results and facility projects during the March 20 meeting.
Dr. Satterfield reported districtwide enrollment is roughly flat compared with the same time last year, saying the district has “about 4 fewer students” overall. He gave a breakdown in the meeting: about 16 fewer students at the elementary school, about three fewer at the middle school and about 16 more at the high school.
On staffing, administrators described several recent resignations and employment changes. The meeting record lists these staff moves: Crystal Gregory resigned as high school volleyball coach; Paige McKee resigned as girls basketball coach; Cynthia Holt stepped down from a cook position for health reasons; Abby Johnson moved into one of the elementary school nurse roles; and Ty Cothern resigned from the after-school program to focus on family and seasonal work but is expected to be considered for summer employment. The district stated it intends to delay hiring certain positions until summer to preserve continuity for the remainder of the school year.
Summer learning plans and staffing The district is planning a summer learning camp in June for rising kindergarten through eighth-grade students. Dr. Satterfield said the district already has certified teachers signed up to staff the program; about 65 students had enrolled at the time of the meeting compared with 168 enrolled at the same point last year. Transportation arrangements were being finalized, with the district expecting to run between four and five buses depending on demand. Final program planning is contingent on the state’s budget allocations, which Dr. Satterfield said the district was still awaiting.
Academic calendar and testing Administrators reminded families about testing and deadlines: TCAP test preparation will take place after spring break, with TCAP testing beginning April 14 and final-exam and retake schedules in May. Dr. Satterfield said third-grade retake scores will not be available until about May 20, per state timelines, which affects exemption decisions for third graders.
Facilities and safety The district reported a school-safety review by state education and safety officials was completed and that reviewers “were quite impressed” with the district’s security measures, including an SRO presence and secured vestibules. A drug-detection dog search during the visit found one vape device; administrators said appropriate student discipline procedures would follow.
On construction, administrators said the elementary roof project has held up through heavy rainfall and retainage payments were being processed. The district raised a concern about recently poured soils beneath the field-house project: wet conditions had compromised compaction and the architect and contractor were evaluating remediation to ensure a stable foundation before proceeding.
Career and curriculum development Administrators said the district is exploring converting one of two biology labs into space for a high-school LPN (licensed practical nurse) program or similar health-care pathway, which could allow students to pursue LPN coursework while in high school. Jonathan Smallwood and others have applied for a grant to support the conversion; administrators said the grant decision timeline was uncertain and could be state- or federal-funded.
The board did not take formal action on these operational items during the meeting; administrators presented updates and flagged next steps for staffing and facility work.
