by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“For Chief Deputy Brent Perry the single biggest [security issue in the schools] is unverified social media threats,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer Darren Earle, providing the Franklin County School Board with an overview of the recommended response practices at the Dec. 10 meeting. The board also heard an update on the proposed statewide student voucher program renamed the Education Freedom Act.

Earle reviewed the list of response practices developed by the DHS over the course of the past several years: determine the validity of the threat; habituate students to response measures to reduce fear and panic when a soft lockdown or other physical measures are required; encourage a strong reporting culture among students and parents with an anonymous reporting option; and emphasize the consequences of making social media threats. Earle observed most students and parents were likely unaware of the consequences and suggested improved communication in this area. “Students find out by getting arrested,” he said. “Making a threat of mass violence is a felony.”

Earle’s advice to parents in the event of a crisis situation: “Stay home, stay informed, be ready.” He likewise stressed the importance of law enforcement and the school administration sharing information with parents, ideally providing updates every 20-30 minutes.

In her legislative update, board member Sarah Marhevsky explained the Education Freedom Scholarship Act proposed last year by Governor Lee had been renamed the Education Freedom Act. The name change took the focus away from the cost, Marhevsky said, emphasizing ‘freedom.’ She pointed out children in Tennessee already had the freedom to attend any school they chose — “In Tennessee, a higher percentage of students are already enrolled in private school than the U.S. average.” She also noted private schools were not obligated to admit any student who applied so emphasizing ‘freedom’ was misleading. Citing an inherent inequity in the program, Marhevsky said if the bill became law the state would pay private schools 100 percent of the required per student allocation, while public schools only received 75 percent of the required allocation from the state on average, with the local government required to provide the remaining 25 percent. What was more, funding the program would likely increase the burden on taxpayers. In North Carolina, the cost of a similar program had increased from $10.8 million to $140 million in just a few years’ time, and in Arizona the cost increased from $65 million to roughly $332 million in a single year. “What else could Tennessee do with the roughly $144 million already set aside for vouchers?” Marhevsky asked.

Director of Schools Cary Holman congratulated the first two graduates of the district’s “Grow Your Own Teacher” Program, Cowan Elementary’s Mattie Cowan and Huntland School’s Kayla Williams. The two women worked as educational assistants while completing their course work and certification. Franklin County has five other prospective teachers enrolled in the program.

With Sewanee Elementary School the focus of the school spotlight for December, Principal Allison Dietz had well-earned bragging rights. Dietz cited SES’s stellar proficiency test scores, drawing comparison to state averages: ELA 74.1 percent proficiency (statewide 41 percent); Math 69 percent proficiency (statewide 42.4 percent); and Science 78 percent proficiency (statewide 44 percent). The state recognized SES as a Reward School for the 2023-2024 school year for demonstrating improvement in achievement and attendance, a particularly remarkable accomplishment since SES already ranked high, Dietz observed. “Sewanee Elementary certainly shines.”