McKenzie School Board Elects 2025-26 Leadership

McKENZIE (September 2) — The McKenzie Special School District (MSSD) school board met Tuesday to elect new leadership and consider amendments to the district’s budget and Vacations and Holiday policy.

In a brief nomination period, board members unanimously elected LaShonda Williams to remain board chairman, George Cassidy to remain board treasurer, Karen Fowler to remain the Tennessee Legislation Network member and Misty Aird to remain as Fowler’s alternate.

An anonymous election was held for vice chairman when Bobby Young and Spiros Roditis were both nominated. Spiros Roditis won the office in a 5-2 vote.

Chad Brown previously held the vice chairman position.

Following the elections, the board considered amendments to the Vacations and Holiday policy, which was issued in 2000, in the Education Policy Manual.

The amended policy clearly differentiates between district-level, building-level and non-certified personnel vacation allowances. It also creates greater vacation flexibility, allowing building-level employees to take vacation during the summer when school is not in session. The amended policy also establishes Juneteenth, the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve as paid holidays.

The school received $859,207.75 in federal grants for the 2025-26 school year. Of these grants, the district will allocate $228,281.80 toward teachers’ pay and supplies, $438,639.59 toward special education teachers and supplies, $10,082.99 toward contracting work, $73,380 toward bus drivers, $87,823.37 toward supervisors, $18,000 toward contracts with public agencies, $2,000 toward in-service and staff development and $1,000 toward bus drivers and gas.

Dr. Eric Lipford, assistant professor of Education at Bethel University, was a special guest at the meeting. He addressed the board, thanking them for allowing his students to student teach in the district.

In Superintendent Barden’s director’s report, he informed the board that elementary and middle school students received their TCAP incentive money in August. He reported middle school sport updates and said all middle school students were placed in their new “houses.”

Gracie Aird, McKenzie High School student representative, was absent from the meeting due to a cross-country meet. The board reviewed her prepared PowerPoint presentation, which included updates on high school sports and informed the board about Bethel University’s recent college fair.

In other updates, the door/window replacement project at the middle and high schools is complete. Any broken panes of glass will be replaced over fall break.

The high school’s roof project is in its final stages. The new field house replacement is almost finished.

The high school’s new outdoor pavilion near the soccer field is already being used for its restrooms, ice and water fountains. Susan Dyer is soliciting local businesses for sponsorships for picnic tables and other accessories to make the space fully-functional.

The district recently received the TN Public School Security Grant to finish adding security film to the remaining windows and doors at the elementary and middle schools with help from Dickson Graphics.

The district also plans to add two exterior cameras at the middle school and one exterior camera at the high school.

The district will purchase bleeding control kits to add to various locations in all three buildings and LifeVac units to add to each school cafeteria or office to assist in the event of someone choking.

The board approved two trips for McKenzie High School sport teams. The football team may travel out-of-state via school bus to Hopkinsville, Ky., to play against Christian County High School on September 5. The cheer team may travel and stay overnight in Knoxville for the TSSAA Cheer State Competition on November 5 and 6.

The next MSSD school board meeting is Tuesday, October 7 at 5:30 p.m.