June 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  In Attendance: Dr. Trey Duke, Sheri Arnette, Lisa Trail, Don Bartch, Ken Rocha, Daniel Owens, Angela Fairchild, Caitlin Bullard, Quinena Bell, Kim Fischer, April Zavisa, Micky Brooks, Tony Bailey, Robin Rapp

Assistant City Attorney Macy Woldt, and City Liaison Bill Shacklett

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Discovery School Principal, Dr. Caitlin Bullard, and Hobgood Elementary School Principal, Ms. Quinena Bell. 

Discussion: 

• Many schools have already scheduled kindergarten screenings. Dates and details can be found on each school’s website.  

• ESP fall registration is now open. Please visit the ESP website for full details and registration information.  

• The Back-to-School Bash, in partnership with Murfreesboro Muslim Youth and other community partners, will be held on Saturday, July 25 at Mitchell-Neilson Primary. Additional details will be shared closer to the event.  

• MERV, Chewy, and CHOW are now serving across Murfreesboro as part of our Summer Feeding Program. 

• Finally, we look forward to honoring four distinguished educators on Thursday evening during our 3rd Annual, Hall of Fame.  This year we will honor Ms. Becci Bookner, Ms. Susan Gendrich, Dr. Linda Gilbert and Ms. Cindy Jones.   
• ESP registration does include KinderCamp.
• ???????We have school supply lists on our website, but if students are in need of school supplies, we will have them. 
• A complete schedule for breakfast and lunch are on our website. Anyone 18 and younger can receive meals through our Summer Feeding Program. 

Discussion: 

Board Chair Amanda Moore asked how students would interact with the program and what measures were in place to ensure student safety. Micky Brooks explained that the program operates within a closed AI system containing only fifth- and sixth-grade reading and language arts content aligned to the district's curriculum.

Ms. Moore also asked about the technology currently being used in classrooms and the results achieved thus far. Mr. Brooks reported that feedback from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive.

Board Member Barbara Long shared that she had personally contacted teachers participating in the pilot program and had received very positive feedback regarding their experience.

Dr. Trey Duke stated that Sheri Arnette will provide the Board with a demonstration of the program during the August Board workshop.

Discussion:  Dr. Duke noted that this is an annual renewal of ELA instruction materials for students in grades K-6 grade. 

Discussion:  Dr. Duke noted that these materials are for students in K-5 and are included in the list of instructional materials by the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Commission. 

Discussion:  Dr. Duke noted that the fence will be installed at Mitchell-Neilson Primary due to the Little Sprouts program moving to the Primary building.

Discussion:  Board Chair Amanda Moore asked whether the contract included tangible instructional materials or online access only. Dr. Trey Duke explained that the contract provides each student with both a printed textbook and online access.

Discussion: 

Dr. Trey Duke reported that Murfreesboro City Schools will have 27 School Resource Officers (SROs) next year. He noted that each school is assigned at least one SRO, while the district's larger schools have two. Dr. Duke also expressed the district's appreciation to the City of Murfreesboro for its continued partnership in providing SROs for MCS schools.

Board Member Jimmy Richardson asked about the primary role of SROs in the schools, specifically whether they are focused on crime and discipline or on safety. Dr. Duke responded that they serve both purposes. He explained that their presence enhances school safety and allows principals to focus on their leadership responsibilities. He added that SROs will be teaching classes for fifth-grade students, assist with securing school buildings during large events, and have made a positive impact during several incidents throughout the past school year.

Discussion: 

Board Member Jimmy Richardson expressed his enthusiasm for the district's Strategic Plan.

Board Member Barbara Long commented that the Strategic Plan is the result of a great deal of hard work.

Board Member David Settles commended Dr. Trey Duke for the significant effort involved in developing and implementing the Strategic Plan, noting that it provides valuable guidance to the Board as it works to fulfill its mission of serving students, particularly in light of reduced school funding. He also remarked that Dr. Duke's leadership makes the Board's work easier.

Board Vice Chair Butch Campbell also commended Dr. Duke for his leadership.

Board Chair Amanda Moore commented that the Board is actively engaged in the district's Strategic Plan. She observed that, in many organizations, strategic plans are developed but rarely revisited. She stated that Dr. Duke's leadership helps ensure that Murfreesboro City Schools' Strategic Plan remains an active, guiding document that keeps the Board focused on its goals.

Discussion:  Dr. Trey Duke informed the Board that newly hired teachers are not included on the report until after their first day of employment.

Discussion: 

Board Chair Amanda Moore reported the results of Dr. Trey Duke's annual evaluation. She explained that the evaluation consists of two components. Dr. Duke received a score of 4.82 out of 5 on the first component and 4.92 out of 5 on the second component.

The Board congratulated and thanked Dr. Duke for his leadership and service.

Ms. Moore stated that the evaluation results reflect the outstanding job Dr. Duke is doing, noting that both the Board and the employees who report directly to him gave him exceptionally high ratings.

Board Member Jimmy Richardson commented that the evaluation results are a reflection of the district's Strategic Plan and its implementation.

Dr. Duke expressed his appreciation, stating that he is fortunate to work alongside an outstanding leadership team and that the success of the organization is the result of a strong, collaborative team effort.

Board Vice Chair Butch Campbell congratulated Dr. Duke on his evaluation and jokingly remarked that he hoped the high ratings would not encourage him to seek a position elsewhere.

Board Member Karen Dodd commented that she had often heard that no one receives a perfect score of five on evaluations and remarked that perhaps Dr. Duke would achieve that milestone next year.

During Board comments, Mr. Campbell also noted that at the previous meeting the Board had discussed the installation of basketball courts at Black Fox Elementary and Erma Siegel Elementary. He shared that he had observed the concrete pad had already been poured at Black Fox, indicating progress on the project.

Discussion: 

Dr. Trey Duke reported that the district's Summer School program will conclude on Thursday. He commended Sheri Arnette and her team for their leadership, stating that the program has been a tremendous success. Dr. Duke shared that he had recently visited several Summer School sites and was impressed to see that, even during the final week, teachers remained fully engaged in providing quality instruction.

Dr. Duke also reminded the Board that the district's third Hall of Fame induction ceremony would be held on Thursday and encouraged Board members to attend if their schedules permitted.

He noted that this was the final Board meeting of the 2025-2026 school year and reminded members that the next regular Board meeting would be held on July 28. He also commented that the Board would have the opportunity to be together before then at the TSBA Summer Law Conference.

Board Member Karen Dodd shared that she had visited Black Fox Elementary's Summer School program earlier that day and was impressed by what she observed. She commented that the student-to-teacher ratio allowed for effective small-group instruction and noted that students were well-behaved, working diligently, and excited to be attending school during the summer.

Board Member David Settles asked whether the district had reached capacity for Summer School enrollment. Sheri Arnette reported that attendance had averaged approximately 900 students per day. She explained that initial enrollment was around 1,200 students before assessment results were released, after which some parents chose to withdraw their children from the program.

Mr. Settles also asked whether Summer School enrollment had increased compared to the previous year. Ms. Arnette confirmed that it had, noting that approximately 800 students participated last year. She added that this is the district's fifth year of offering Summer School and expressed her belief that the program continues to improve each year.

Discussion:  The meeting adjourned at 6:49 p.m.