The Carter County Board of Education approved tenure for a slate of teachers in a single vote and heard district updates including Head Start enrollment figures, a construction progress report, and a district award for female diversity in AP Computer Science.

Tenure approvals: The board approved tenure recommendations for teachers who had met state eligibility requirements. The list read into the record included: April Famous (Central Elementary); Vanessa Sparks (Central Elementary); Dana Wall (Caldwell Elementary); Natasha Townsend (Hampton Court Country); Rachel Williams (Phoenix Street); Perry Sue (Valley Elementary); Megan Wallace (Elementary); Matthew Peters (Jesse Dobie High School); Tracy Blackford (Elementary); and additional district-wide staff names announced during the meeting. The motion to approve the tenure list passed unanimously.

Head Start and pre-K: Superintendent Dr. Clark introduced Jacqueline Wilson as the district's new director of Head Start and pre-K. Wilson reported, "We currently in Head Start, we are serving 153 students," and said there were a small number of openings and new inquiries this week.

Construction and awards: The board received a construction update on the "Connor" project (site photos shown at the meeting). Staff reported paint and preparations for wood-floor installation are complete in many areas, and that locker rooms and corridor flex spaces are coming together. Dr. Clark also announced the district received the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award; he said the recognized high school is "one of 10 high schools" in Tennessee to receive the honor for encouraging female participation in computer science.

Why it matters: Tenure approvals formalize continued employment for teachers meeting statutory criteria; Head Start enrollment affects early-childhood capacity. The construction update affects school facilities and scheduling for occupancy and athletics.

Votes and next steps: The tenure motion passed unanimously. Staff were directed to present certificates to the honorees and to continue reporting progress on construction and program enrollment at future meetings.