September 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  In attendance:  Dr. Trey Duke, Sheri Arnette, Angela Fairchild, Don Bartch, Daniel Owens, Maria Johnson, Ken Rocha, Lisa Trail, Kimberly Hix, Jenny Ortiz, Sarah Todd, Jacqueline Keller, Andrea Oakley, and Felicia James 

Assistant City Attorney Lauren Bush and City Liaison Bill Shacklett

 

Discussion:  Danielle Gregory presented a public comment on quality field trips in City Schools.  
 

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Shivam Prakash Babu, a 6th grade student at Cason Lane Academy and Lily Sullivan, a 3rd grade student, and her brother, Liam Sullivan, a 4th grade student, both at Overall Creek Elementary.

Discussion:  Mitchell-Neilson PreK would like to thank Leech Family Dentistry for their very generous donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste for our students in need.  

First United Methodist Church and Rev. Sally Millsap in Murfreesboro recently donated an adaptive AMBUCS Tryke to our Integrated Pre-K program at Cason Lane. The Tryke was built by local students as a community service project to benefit children with disabilities. 
There will be an "official" presentation made at the PreK on Oct. 1 at 9:30am.  

Thank you to MTSU Tennis for once again opening its courts to our students and hosting a fantastic tennis clinic. We appreciate their continued partnership and commitment to providing unique opportunities for our students.

Our First Chapters initiative launched in September for families with preschool-age children. Through this program, we are opening our school libraries to young learners and their families for a special story time, craft activity, and take-home book. Several of our retired teachers have joined us as volunteer readers.  Our next First Chapters event will be held on October 13 at Reeves-Rogers and Overall Creek.

Parent University got off to a strong start in September with four programs designed to support and engage our families. Upcoming sessions include The Story of Water on October 17 at Barfield Park partnering with MTSU, and Press Pause: A Gaming Safety Zone via zoom on October 22.

During the month of October, Hobgood Elementary, in partnership with our Outreach team, is helping collect new and gently used children's clothing to support students and families across Murfreesboro City Schools. Donations are being accepted for boys and girls in sizes 4-18 and may include everyday items such as shirts, pants, jeans, jackets, hoodies, and other school-appropriate clothing.
 
Students in transition program has launched the Pack the Pantry donation drive to help maintain a supply of essential household items for Murfreesboro City Schools families experiencing housing instability or temporary hardships. The initiative focuses on collecting high-demand necessities, including toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, and laundry detergent.
 
Our Community Conversations with Dr. Duke will continue on October 22 for Multilingual families. This event is hosted by our Outreach Team and will provide an opportunity for families to engage directly with district leadership and share feedback regarding their child’s educational experiences.
 
To help address food insecurity during the school break, Outreach team is coordinating a food distribution effort on the Monday, October 5 of Fall Break for families residing in local hotels and shelters throughout the Murfreesboro area.  

Coordinated School Health will host a Family Fun Night for MCS families at Journey Home on October 9 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Families will enjoy outdoor recreation activities, interactive wellness stations, healthy snack-making opportunities, refreshments, and giveaways designed to promote family engagement and healthy lifestyles. 

The Taste of Latin America Celebration will be held on Thursday, October 29, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Patterson Park. Sponsored in part by Bradley Academy, the event will feature student artwork and performances from Bradley Academy, Hobgood Elementary, Scales, Mitchell Neilson, Reeves Rogers, and John Pittard Elementary while celebrating the rich cultures and traditions of Latin America.

Registration is open for the City Schools Foundation’s Serve It Up Doubles Pickleball tournament on October 24 and 25 at Old Fort Park. The tournament features four divisions, including Mixed Doubles on Friday evening and Women’s, Men’s, and Competitive divisions on Saturday morning. We invite our community to join us for a fun weekend that supports our schools and students.

Our first zoom with 3rd grade families will be October 22 and noon and 4:00 p.m.  Parents will receive an invitation via email.

And, as a quick reminder, Fall Break is October 5-9. 

The City Schools Foundation will be distributing over $56,000 to teachers across the district this Friday.  Once these funds are distributed, City Schools will have given 1.9 million dollars back to Murfreesboro City Schools' teachers. 

Discussion: 

Felicia James highlighted the TNALL Corp. Tutoring Program. Ms. James explained that Stephanie Turner, ESP Program Specialist, partners with her to provide similar tutoring services during ESP hours.

Dr. Duke thanked Ms. James for her work with the program and noted that he recently read an article in The New York Times identifying small-group tutoring as one of the most impactful educational investments.

Discussion: 

Chair Amanda Moore asked how parents are selected to serve on the advisory board. Ms. Sheri Arnette explained that Ms. Hopkins, ESP Director, reaches out to parents who have been recommended by ESP Site Directors.

Ms. Arnette noted that parent positions remain open throughout the year for those who are interested in serving; however, participation has historically been limited. She stated that her goal this year is to promote the opportunity more frequently so that additional parents may choose to participate throughout the year.

 

Discussion: 

Board Chair Amanda Moore emphasized the importance of the Board’s understanding and review of the Director’s Evaluation document for the upcoming year. She stressed that the Board should give careful consideration to the document, noting that the evaluation process is an important way for the Board to provide direction and accountability for Murfreesboro City Schools. Chair Moore asked that all Board members review the document carefully and confirm that they were comfortable with its contents.

Board Member Barbara Long stated that, in her opinion, Dr. Duke had met all the established standards.

Discussion:  Board Chair Amanda Moore stated that she had reviewed the 2026-2027 Board Committee Assignments with each Board member and that there were no changes from the previous year.

Discussion: 

Dr. Duke reminded the Board that the following week would be Fall Break and that schools would be closed.

Dr. Duke also informed the Board that he and staff members would be distributing grant checks from the City Schools Foundation on Friday and invited Board members to participate. He expressed his appreciation to the Foundation for its generous support of Murfreesboro City Schools.

Dr. Duke shared that he would attend the Excellence in Education event on Thursday evening at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. He explained that Ms. Amy Jackson, who was named District Teacher of the Year and Mid-Cumberland Teacher of the Year, was a finalist for Middle Tennessee Teacher of the Year. Dr. Duke stated that he would attend the event to support and celebrate Ms. Jackson and her accomplishments.

Board Vice Chair Butch Campbell congratulated Dr. Duke on his recent nomination as AIMS President.

Discussion:  Board Chair Amanda Moore noted that the Board recently attended the TSBA Fall District Meeting in Lebanon, Tennessee. She shared that Board members are recognized for achieving new levels of Boardsmanship and announced that two Board members advanced to the next level. Chair Moore recognized Ms. Jeanette Price for advancing to Level II and Mrs. Karen Dodd for advancing to Level IV.

Board Member Barbara Long asked to revisit the Public Comment discussion and inquired about the provisions currently in place for student field trips.

Dr. Duke stated that the district recognizes field trips as legitimate educational opportunities that provide students with valuable real-world experiences. He explained that current limitations are primarily due to the availability of buses and bus drivers. The district must ensure that transportation is available to pick up students from school and return them home each afternoon. At this time, field trips are generally limited to locations such as the zoo that can be visited and completed within the available transportation window. Dr. Duke noted that, realistically, buses cannot arrive in Nashville until approximately 10:00 a.m. and must begin returning by noon in order to be back in time for afternoon student transportation.

Dr. Duke explained that schools may explore private or contracted transportation services as an alternative. While this option is more expensive, it remains available. He also noted that teachers may apply for grants to help fund field trips and may contact Mr. Bartch regarding transportation options.

Ms. Long confirmed that provisions are available for schools to utilize private transportation when feasible, and Dr. Duke agreed.

Board Member Jeanette Price asked about required breaks for bus drivers. Ms. Bush explained that bus drivers receive a 30-minute break away from their bus after six hours.

Board Member Karen Dodd stated that, given the time and expense involved, she would prefer field trips to provide students with more than two hours of educational experience. She also asked whether teachers could apply for grants through the City Schools Foundation to help fund field trips. Ms. Dodd asked Lisa Trail about the requirements for such grants. Ms. Trail stated that there is nothing prohibiting teachers from submitting grants for this purpose and noted that other grant opportunities are also available, including through the Tennessee Arts Commission. She explained that teachers would need to apply early in the school year, as the City Schools Foundation distributes grants beginning in October.

Dr. Duke added that funding opportunities are available through the City Schools Foundation and that teachers may submit grants for student needs during the current school year. He reiterated that the district will work with schools to identify available options and emphasized the district’s desire to make field trip opportunities available to both teachers and students. He noted that the zoo has historically been one of the most popular field trip destinations and that the district was working to ensure that opportunity remained available.

Board Vice Chair Butch Campbell asked for a breakdown of the costs associated with a field trip to the State Capitol. Dr. Duke stated that the Finance Department could provide a rate chart showing the cost per bus and that he would include the information in his Friday Board Update. He also explained that if students are required to pay a field trip fee, provisions would be made for students whose families are unable to pay.

Dr. Duke noted that contracted bus transportation typically costs approximately $750 to $1,000 or more per bus, depending on the circumstances.

Discussion:  The meeting adjourned at 6:53 p.m.