April 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  David Settles arrived at 6:23 p.m. 

In attendance:  Dr. Trey Duke, Sheri Arnette, Ken Rocha, Don Bartch, Maria Johnson, Angela Fairchild, Daniel Owens, Christy Robinson, Jeremy Lewis, Cathrine Gordon, Erica Shreeve, Ashlee Barnes, Kathy Waldecker, Cynthia Hopkins, Jaci Saunders, Beth Prater, Kim Fischer, Jenny Ortiz, Dr. Dionne McCullough, Ashley Young, 

Assistant City Attorney Lauren Bush and City Liaison Bill Shacklett 

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Easton Smith, a 5th grade student at John Pittard Elementary and Delilah Arnold, a 2nd grade student at Bradley Academy. 

Discussion:  May Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8, 2026.

Murfreesboro City Schools will host Kickoff to Kindergarten on Tuesday, May 12, offering families a welcoming introduction to kindergarten plus on-site registration assistance for the 2026-2027 school year if needed.  Registration assistance is available at all school from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (excluding Discovery School).  Individual tour times vary by schools.  For families needing transportation assistance, translators will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm. at the MCS Central Office, located at 2552 S. Church St.  

Special Olympics is Monday, May 4th, at MTSU.  That is always the best day! The parade begins at 9:45 a.m.

The 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees include Dr. Linda Arms Gilbert, Becci Bookner, Cindy Jones, and Susan Gendrich.  More information coming soon. 

Congratulations to Northfield Elementary student Waylon Brooks for earning 1st Place at the Read to Succeed Spelling Bee and to Black Fox Elementary student Brianna Perez Tena for placing 3rd at the spelling bee. 

Congratulations to the Rutherford County Earth Day Celebration School Poster Contest winners: 

• Grades K-2:  

  • 2nd Place: Ada Z., Discovery School 

  • 3rd Place: Vita, Black Fox 

• Honorable Mention: Nola V., Overall Creek 

• Grades 3-5:  

• 1st Place: Amina M., Cason Lane Academy 

• 3rd Place: Savannah H., Discovery School 

• Grades 6-8:  

• 1st Place: Mohamed M., Cason Lane Academy 
• 2nd Place:  William JPE
• 3rd Place:  Colton JPE 

Also, thank you to Scales Elementary's Steel DeBoro for their feature performance at Earth Day and to the MCS farmers for having an interactive booth at Earth Day. 

Thank you to Girl Scout Troops 240 and 303 for packing meal bags for our food pantry. 

Thank you to the Discovery Center for hosting Family Math Night and a special thank you to Ms. Dodd and her student volunteers for helping make our math night run smoothly. The MTSU Dairy also served as a host site for a Saturday family gathering as part of Parent University. 

Math Madness Competition will take place on May 12 at Patterson Park. Everyone is welcome to join us and watch our students show their math skills. 

Jr. Chef Showdown will be held Saturday, May 2, beginning at 11 a.m. Please note the change in location to Overall Creek. 

Thank you to Elder's Ace Hardware for donating soil for our Farm 2 School program. 

 

Discussion: 

Board Member Barbara Long moved to amend the motion to increase attendance secretary pay by up to 10% of the hourly rate, in order to more closely align their compensation with that of school bookkeepers. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Butch Campbell.

Board Member David Settles inquired about the total cost associated with the proposed increase. Dr. Duke responded that the adjustment would result in an estimated additional expenditure of approximately $40,000.

Following discussion, Board Member Jimmy Richardson expressed concern regarding the amendment, noting the difficulty in reconciling the loss of a social worker position and a $30,000 reduction in professional development funding while proposing an increase for a single position. He stated that, although the employees are deserving, he believed the increase to be fiscally irresponsible given recent reductions by the county commission and increased financial pressures from the state, including unfunded mandates. Mr. Richardson stated he could not support the amendment. Board Member David Settles concurred.

Vice Chair Butch Campbell stated his support for the amendment, noting that he had received feedback from all principals in favor of the adjustment.

Prior to the vote, Attorney Lauren Bush clarified the amended motion to read:
"I move to amend the motion approving the certified/classified salary scale to reflect adjustments to the hourly rate for attendance secretaries on an individualized basis in accordance with the salary schedule, for the purpose of more closely aligning their compensation with that of school bookkeepers, not to exceed 10% of the hourly rate."

Board Member Jimmy Richardson moved to approve the amended language, and Board Member David Settles seconded. The motion to amend the language carried unanimously.

Board Member David Settles called for the question. No second was required, and there were no objections.

A roll call vote was taken: 

Butch Campbell-Yes
Karen Dodd-Yes
Barbara Long-Yes
Jeanette Price-Yes
Jimmy Richardson-No
David Settles-Yes
Amanda Moore-Yes 

6 yes's and 1 no-Amended motion passed. 








 

Discussion:  Karen Dodd moved to amend the motion regarding the differentiated pay plan to add that, because sixth grade has been removed from the differentiated pay plan beginning in the 2027-2028 school year after having been included for several years, the Board will provide a one-time stipend of five hundred dollars ($500) to current sixth grade teachers who remain in a sixth grade teaching position during the 2026-2027 school year.  This stipend shall be provided for one year only and shall not be considered recurring compensation. 

She further encouraged district staff to ensure that all teachers whose positions are included in the differentiated pay plan receive annual notification explicitly stating whether or not their position is included for that school year, and clarifying that any differentiated pay stipend is approved on a year-to-year basis and applies only to that school year unless the Board continues to deem the position hard to fill. 

There was discussion on the amended motion.  

Board Member Jimmy Richardson inquired whether other positions had been afforded the opportunity to receive a phase-out stipend once the position was no longer considered hard to fill. Dr. Duke stated that, to his knowledge, no such extensions had been offered during his tenure. Mr. Richardson stated that he could not support the amendment.

Board Member David Settles asked for clarification regarding the payment of the stipend. Dr. Duke explained that the one-time phase-out stipend would be issued at the end of the 2026-2027 school year as a single payment of $500, contingent upon the employee completing the year in a 6th grade teaching position.

A roll call vote was taken:
Karen Dodd-Yes
Barbara Long-Yes
Jeanette Price-Yes
Jimmy Richardson-No
David Settles-No
Butch Campbell-Yes
Amanda Moore-Yes 

5 Yes's and 2 No's-the motion passed.

Discussion: 

Dr. Duke presented Budget D to the Board for approval, noting that this version included the previously approved amendments for increased attendance pay and the 6th grade stipend.

Following discussion and questions regarding Budget D, Mr. Jimmy Richardson made a motion to approve an amended version of Budget D to include funding for an additional mental health counselor at an approximate cost of $90,000, stating that he believed there is no better use of resources than supporting students’ needs. The motion was seconded by Mr. David Settles.

Ms. Barbara Long inquired about the impact of the proposed amendment on fund balance reserves. Dr. Duke responded that the amendment would require utilizing 4.727% of reserves, leaving a remaining fund balance of just under $19.9 million.

Ms. Jeanette Price asked about the current caseloads for mental health counselors. Dr. Duke indicated that he did not have the exact figures at that time but estimated that counselors currently serve approximately 34 students each and stated that he would provide updated data. Ms. Price also inquired about the existence of a waitlist, and Dr. Duke confirmed he would follow up with that information as well.

Dr. Duke assured the Board that mental health services would remain in place despite a reduction from five to four therapists, noting that he had worked with Ms. Amanda Adams and Mr. Ken Rocha to develop a plan. Mr. Rocha addressed the Board to further explain the service delivery model and staffing plan for four therapists.

Dr. Duke acknowledged the challenges of the current budget year and stated that he would take full responsibility for the recommendation to reduce to four mental health therapists. He further explained that, based on feedback from principals, calm coaches were reassigned to the general purpose budget, as this was identified as a top priority.

Mr. Richardson emphasized the importance of distinguishing between programs the district values and those it must prioritize, stating that while he supports current services, he would prefer to retain the fifth mental health therapist, which prompted his motion.

Mr. Settles called for the question. With no opposition, Mr. Richardson withdrew his motion to amend Budget D. Mr. Settles seconded the withdrawal. Motion to withdraw passed with no opposition.

 

 

 

Discussion:  Board Member Jimmy Richardson expressed his appreciation for the Extended School Program, noting that there were no rate increases. He described the program as extraordinary and commended the continued focus on serving students.

Discussion: 

Dr. Duke expressed his appreciation to Daniel Owens, Beth Prater, and the entire Finance Department for their diligence and hard work throughout the budget development process. He also thanked the Board for its input and engagement.

Dr. Duke reported that the district completed TCAP testing the previous week, noting that the administration was successful. He recognized Dr. Chris George and all assistant principals for their leadership and support during testing. Dr. Duke shared that feedback from an experienced teacher indicated it was the smoothest testing year to date.

Dr. Duke stated that district leadership will now shift focus to third-grade promotion and retention. He reported that TCAP scores are expected during the last full week of May, at which time communication to parents—including letters, phone calls, and virtual meetings—will be initiated. He further noted that third-grade TCAP scores are anticipated to be returned on the afternoon of May 20, with retesting for non-exempt students scoring "approaching" or "below" scheduled for Thursday, May 21, due to the final day of school being Friday, May 22. Additional details will be provided during the Principals’ PLC on April 29.

Discussion: 

Board Member Jimmy Richardson concurred with Dr. Duke’s remarks regarding the Finance Department and all individuals involved in the budget development process. He also expressed appreciation for his fellow Board members, stating that he was proud to serve alongside them. Board Chair Amanda Moore echoed these sentiments.

Discussion:  The meeting adjourned at 8:14 p.m.