September 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  City Liaison and former Vice Mayor Mr. Bill Shacklett administered the oath to the recently elected Board Members:  Amanda Moore, Barbara Long, and Karen Dodd.

Discussion:  In attendance:  Dr. Trey Duke, Daniel Owens, Sheri Arnette, Angela Fairchild, Lisa Trail, Maria Johnson, Ken Rocha, Don Bartch, Christy Robinson, and Jaci Saunders

Assistant City Attorney Lauren Bush and City Liaison Bill Shacklett

Prior to the start of the meeting, Dr. Duke shared the Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS) promotional video with Board members. Ms. Lisa Trail noted that similar promotional videos have been developed for the Extended School Program (ESP) and the City Schools Foundation. She stated that the Foundation video will also be shared with Board members.

Discussion:  There was no public comment.

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Dr. Christy Robinson, Principal at John Pittard Elementary.  

Discussion:  Lauren Bush explained the process for election of Board Chair and Vice Chair.  

Jimmy Richardson made the motion to nominate Amanda Moore for Board Chair. Barbara Long seconded. 

A roll call vote was taken:
Butch Campbell-Amanda Moore
Karen Dodd-Amanda Moore 
Barbara Long-Amanda Moore
Jeanette Price-Amanda Moore 
Jimmy Richardson-Amanda Moore
David Settles-absent 
Amanda Moore-Amanda Moore 

With six votes in support of Amanda Moore, Ms. Moore was elected Board Chair. 

Jimmy Richardson made the motion to nominate Butch Campbell as Board Vice Chair.  Karen Dodd seconded. 

A roll call vote was taken. 
Butch Campbell-Butch Campbell 
Karen Dodd-Butch Campbell 
Barbara Long-Butch Campbell 
Jeanette Price-Butch Campbell 
Jimmy Richardson-Butch Campbell 
David Settles-absent 
Amanda Moore-Butch Campbell 
With six votes in support of Butch Campbell, Mr. Campbell was elected as Vice Chair. 

Amanda Moore thanked the Board for their vote of confidence. 

Mr. Campbell also thanked the Board for their vote.

Discussion: 

Board Member Barbara Long asked whether the grant would provide some relief to the district's budget.

Dr. Duke responded that while the grant would provide some assistance, it falls short of the level of funding the district would have preferred to support the current year's budget. He noted, however, that the grant is still a significant benefit.

Discussion: 

Board Member Karen Dodd asked whether the proposed contract would cover the transition from Skyward to Synergy.

Mr. Rocha responded that the district anticipates completing the migration to the new student information system by June 2027. Ms. Bush added that the district may only maintain a contract with one student information system at a time. She explained that the proposed contract represents a modified task order to support the current year's student information system operations while also facilitating the transition to the new system. District staff anticipate discontinuing Skyward by July 1, 2027.

Mr. Rocha further noted that the district will begin training designated trainers in spring 2027, followed by teacher training at the start of the 2027-2028 school year.

Board Member Jeanette Price asked about training opportunities for parents and families and inquired whether a Parent University session would be offered on the new system.

Mr. Rocha stated that the district plans to provide reference guides and instructional videos for all users, as well as training sessions for families. He added that families already connected to Rutherford County Schools will be able to link their accounts, allowing them to access information from both districts through a single login.

 

Discussion: 




 

Discussion: 

Dr. Kim Everett and Dr. Angie Hooser of MTSU's College of Education attended the meeting and presented findings from a research study examining factors that contribute to teacher retention within Murfreesboro City Schools. They reviewed key findings, including areas of strength and identified challenges. The presenters noted that the data will help inform the Board's understanding of teacher retention and provide insights into strategies for supporting educators and retaining high-quality employees. A more detailed summary of the research findings was distributed to Board members, and the information will also be shared with principals at a later date.

Dr. Duke thanked the presenters for their partnership and for the comprehensive analysis conducted through the study. He noted that the findings were valuable and aligned with data collected through the district's employee exit surveys.

Board Chair Amanda Moore expressed appreciation to the presenters for their work and support of the district.

Board Member Barbara Long commented that the partnership is highly valuable and expressed hope that the district would continue to study and utilize the findings to further strengthen the organization.

Dr. Duke stated that he left the presentation feeling encouraged by the findings while also considering additional opportunities for improvement within the district.

Discussion: 

The Board received an overview of employee insurance rates for the 2027 plan year. Medical insurance premiums through the State of Tennessee are projected to increase by approximately 9%, with the increase shared proportionally between the district and employees. Despite the increase, the district will continue to offer two employee-only medical plans at no cost to employees, as well as employee-only basic dental coverage at no cost. Vision insurance rates will remain unchanged. Open enrollment is scheduled to begin in October, and the Human Resources Department will provide additional information to employees in advance of enrollment.

Dr. Duke reviewed district insurance premium trends from 2023 to the present, noting that annual increases have resulted in higher costs to the district while employees have experienced minimal increases and have continued to have access to a no-cost medical plan option. He informed the Board that detailed rate sheets were included in the meeting packet for review.

Dr. Duke explained that the district's share of insurance costs will increase by 9.2% across all plans. He also noted that the district changed dental insurance providers in the previous year, allowing a basic dental plan to be offered at no cost to employees, and that no changes were being made to vision insurance rates.

Dr. Duke stated that the information was being presented to the Board for review prior to distribution to employees. He further noted that the district's share of insurance costs for the upcoming year is projected to total approximately $13.3 million, representing about 10% of the district's overall expenditures.

Board Chair Amanda Moore asked whether insurance costs remained within the amount budgeted by the district. Dr. Duke responded that budget amendments are routinely necessary due to employee enrollment changes and coverage elections; however, the overall insurance expenditure remains consistent with projections. He added that the district currently has 1,068 employees enrolled in the insurance program.

Discussion:  Dr. Duke had no further updates. 

Discussion:  Board member Jimmy Richardson congratulated the Board Chair and Vice Chair on their elections.  

The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.