Coffee County schools cited as ‘advancing’; district receives $353,000 TISA outcome bonus
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Summary
At the Jan. 12 Coffee County Board of Education meeting, district staff said the system earned an 'advancing' designation with a 2.9 score and reported a $353,000 TISA outcome bonus, citing gains for students with disabilities and a rise in ACT averages.
The Coffee County School District earned a state accountability designation of "advancing" for 2024–25, district staff told the school board at its Jan. 12 meeting, and administrators said the district also received a $353,000 TISA outcome bonus.
Dr. Cornelius told the board the $353,000 bonus is about $61,000 higher than the previous year and attributed the increase largely to improved outcomes for students with disabilities at the middle and high school levels. "I attributed most of that to making improvements with students with disabilities at the middle school," he said.
Dr. Blessing reviewed how the state's accountability model is calculated and said Coffee County's district score rose from about 2.6 to 2.9 on the state's 1–4 scale, leaving the district within striking distance of the state's highest designation. He explained components such as achievement, growth (partitioned by need group), college and career readiness (CCR) and how subtests and substitute exams (AP, industry certifications) factor into school letter grades.
Blessing highlighted several local gains: five elementaries reached a B and one earned an A; Hickerson improved significantly; East Coffee and Hillsborough were designated as federal "reward" schools; the high school’s average ACT rose from 18.8 to 19.2; and 61% of the referenced cohort earned CCR status. He also said the federal and state accountability systems count different subjects and that the state's measures are still changing.
Board members noted the lag in reporting — letter grades reflected 2024–25 data — and asked staff to keep the board informed as the state and federal systems evolve. Dr. Cornelius cautioned that the TISA outcome bonus is not guaranteed year to year and depends on legislative decisions and future performance.
The board did not take formal action on accountability metrics at the meeting; administrators said they will share the presentation slides with board members and are available for follow‑up questions.