Maury County Board installs new member; district and three schools earn state honors

The Maury County Board of Education on Dec. 2 administered the oath of office to a newly appointed member and used the opening of its meeting to celebrate district and school honors.

At the start of the meeting the appointee recited the oath of office, stating, "I, Kathleen McCoola, do solemnly swear..." and was congratulated by the board. The chair later welcomed the new member by a different surname in the record, creating a discrepancy in the transcript that the board did not address on the floor.

A central office representative told the board that three schools had been recognized as state "reward" schools based on federal and state accountability measures covering proficiency, growth, chronic absenteeism and graduation indicators. Highland Park Elementary was represented by Principal Kelly Myers; Woodard Elementary was represented by Principal Julie Woliver and former principal Carol Ann Gint joined staff in the audience; Principal Eric Hughes received the honor for Mount Pleasant High School. Mount Pleasant is the district’s first high school to earn the reward-school designation.

The central office representative also announced that Maury County Public Schools had been designated an "advancing" district by the Tennessee Department of Education — the second-highest accountability level — a change the speaker described as reflecting measurable gains in student achievement and district support.

Board members and staff thanked school leaders, teachers and students for the work behind the recognitions, and the meeting proceeded to routine business and policy items.