Sumner County Schools

Katie Brown Named SCS Supervisor of the Year

Sumner County Schools is pleased to announce that Assistant Director of Schools for Student Support, Katie Brown, has been named the 2023 Supervisor of the Year! She oversees the district's school safety and student support programs, including Sumner County Schools' social workers and prevention coordinators.

SCS Quarterly Report to Education Committee (pdf)

January 3, 2023

Mr. Robert Brown, III, Chairman
Education Committee
Sumner County Commission

Quarterly Report

Chairman Brown,

As requested, I’m happy to submit the following report to you in compliance with Tennessee Code Title 49 – Education Chapter 2 - Local Administration Part 3 - County Administration Director of Schools, Paragraph B(1), Subparagraph S which states: Make a written report, quarterly, to the appropriate local legislative body, for the board, of all receipts and expenditures of the public school funds, which accounts shall contain full information concerning the conditions, progress and needs of the schools of the school system and which shall be audited by the appropriate fiscal officer and local legislative body.

The school system is in good financial condition. We do not expect a need for any additional revenue for general purpose or capital funds beyond what has been approved for the current fiscal year. Mr. Lawing has not provided any indication to the school district that property tax or sales tax collections are not currently trending to adequately fund our approved fiscal year budget request.

We’re proud of our financial transparency. You, as well as any citizen, may view all of our monthly revenue and expenditures by following the link below:

http://go.boarddocs.com/tn/scstn/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=CM3U847AC3CC

You can also follow the link below to publicly view our financial audits performed by the Tennessee State Comptroller.

https://sumnercountytn.gov/departments/finance/central-accounting/

You can access the monthly Financial Management Committee and Budget Committee agendas to view the financial reports of local receipts provided by the Sumner County Trustee and Finance Director. I have provided a link to the latest of each committee below:

Budget Committee – https://sumnercountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/December-12-2022-budget-committeeagenda.pdf

Financial Management – https://sumnercountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Sep-2022-fin-man-agenda.pdf

I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to present this report to you. We are always thankful for the support of the Sumner County Commission. I would ask that you enter this communication into the meeting minutes under the agenda item, “Report of Director of Schools”. I will also provide a copy to Mayor John Isbell.

In Highest Regard,

Del R. Phillips, III, Ph.D
Director of Schools

Oakmont Elementary Nationally Recognized for Success in 2022

For more pictures, click HERE.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) is pleased to announce that Oakmont Elementary from Cottontown, Tennessee has been named a National ESEA Distinguished School by the state education agency in Tennessee. Oakmont Elementary is one of up to 100 schools throughout the country that is being nationally recognized for exceptional student achievement in 2022. A project of NAESPA, the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying federally funded schools for the outstanding academic achievements of their students. It highlights the efforts of schools across the country making significant improvements for their students. The program has been in place since 1996, showcasing the success of hundreds of schools in one of three categories:

CATEGORY 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth, as determined by each state

CATEGORY 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups, as determined by each state

CATEGORY 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homeless, migrant, English learners, etc.)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides additional resources for vulnerable students and federal grants to state educational agencies to improve the quality of public elementary and secondary education.

The Association is a membership organization made up of State ESEA Program Administrators, and their staff from each of the states and territories, charged with managing their state federal education program. They ensure compliance with federal regulations, but more importantly work to see that all children — especially those living in economically disadvantaged conditions — have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. NAESPA implements the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program to highlight selected schools that have successfully used their ESEA federal funds to improve the education for all students–including economically disadvantaged students. More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the ESEA Network website: www.ESEAnetwork.org.

Dollar General Donates $100,000 to Sumner County Schools to Enhance Reading and Literacy Programs

Dollar General recently surprised two Sumner County Schools with a donation of $50,000 each to Benny Bills Elementary School in Gallatin, and J.W. Wiseman Elementary School in Portland. The donations provide schools with additional funding to purchase books, technology programs, computers and other educational tools to enhance their reading and literacy programs.

Dollar General Executive Vice President of Store Operations, Steve Sunderland, helped surprise Benny Bills Elementary in Gallatin and also read to students before presenting the donation.

“It was an absolute honor to spend time reading to Benny Bills Elementary students and to surprise the school with a Reading Revolution donation,” shared Sunderland. “Dollar General remains committed to being a good neighbor in our hometown communities through our mission of Serving Others, providing increased access to affordable essentials and charitable donations that support literacy and education. We hope these funds will make a positive and lasting impact on the Benny Bills school community.”

Dollar General Corporate Social Responsibility & Philanthropy Manager, Cindy Pryor; J.W. Wiseman Principal, Dr. Sabrina McClard; and Dollar General Corporate Social Responsibility & Philanthropy Specialist Catherine Royka pose with students

The company’s Reading Revolution program began in 2013 and has awarded approximately $4.2 million to 116 schools during the past nine years.

“We are thankful for the support we received from Dollar General. This donation will make a significant impact on our ability to equip our students with the skills and knowledge our children need to be successful,” Sumner County Schools Director Dr. Del Phillips said. “Great teachers, parents and community partners lay the foundation for success. We are grateful for the generosity and vision of Dollar General.”

Dollar General EVP of Store Operations, Steve Sunderland; and Benny Bills Elementary Principal, Dr. Kathryn Vinson