School principals and district staff reported Jan. 15 on recent academic results and supports for students across Clay County. Officials said Hermitage Springs’ high school letter grade on the state report card is a C (3.2 on the 0–5 scale), down from a B the prior year, and attributed the shift largely to changes in achievement measures. Staff said a number of students are only a few questions away from proficiency and described targeted interventions to move those students, including small-group supports and teacher-led data meetings.

District staff also announced receipt of a competitive five-year early-literacy grant awarded by the Tennessee Department of Education. The grant will provide “vendor money” to fund vendor-led walk-throughs, teacher and principal training, data measurement goals and supports for ELA in grades 5–12. Staff said the program should begin in spring 2026 and run through the following four school years.

Other highlights from the director’s report included: recognition of staff who stepped in during medical leaves; special-education monitoring improvements (fewer pulled IEPs and fewer errors compared with prior years); success in student competitions; community-service completion by seniors; and planned ACT-prep offerings for juniors. Staff also noted a public-school security grant of about $22,000 (part of the roughly $51,000 in grant funding discussed for facilities) that will be applied toward the Hermitage Springs window project.

Principals emphasized attendance-incentive programs and classroom walkthroughs to maintain instructional rigor and drive growth. The board encouraged principals to request assistance or resources if needed and asked staff to continue providing data and updates on progress.