Reporter Jordan Renfro bids farewell at CMCSS meeting, urges board to ‘remember who you serve’

Jordan Renfro, a crime and education reporter for Clarksville Now, delivered a farewell public comment at the Clarksville‑Montgomery County School Board meeting, urging trustees to keep students at the center of their decisions.

Renfro said she will leave Clarksville on Dec. 31 and reflect on three years covering the district before offering a final piece of advice to the board: consider who you serve and prioritize students over politics. “Every choice you make up here directly impacts every single child in this district,” she said.

Renfro described her personal journey from a small town and private school to a career in reporting and emphasized that children should not carry the burdens of adult politics. “You all claimed to party on the ballot when you were voted in, but these kids, they don't belong to a political party,” she said. She urged board members to ask whether issues they take up are truly about students or are “an opportunity for adults to have a political tug of war.”

Board members responded with gratitude. Mr. Garland thanked Renfro for her remarks and multiple board members — including Mr. Mabry and Elijah — offered personal thanks and holiday wishes, saying they appreciated her service to the community. Several board members said publicly that the district’s work is about serving children and wished Renfro well in her next position.

Renfro’s comments occupied the meeting’s public‑comment period and were followed by routine board business including votes on the consent agenda and policy reports. Her remarks called attention to the board’s stated duty to students and generated a string of personal acknowledgements from trustees before the meeting moved on.