May 2022 News

CMCSS will not include the TCAP state standardized test results as part of students’ final grades this school year. CMCSS updated the District grading policy in 2015 to align with T.C.A. § 49-1-617. District policy states that students’ TCAP scores will not be included in their final spring semester grades if the TCAP scores are not received by the District at least five instructional days before the end of the academic year. As CMCSS nears the end of the school year and finalizes student grades, the raw scores were not received within the last five instructional days and will not be included.

As a reminder, the last half day of school is Wednesday, May 25.

On Tuesday, May 10, the School Board voted to select Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder as the next Director of Schools. Dr. Luna-Vedder currently serves as the Chief of Student Readiness for the Tennessee Department of Education. She has been a resident of Clarksville-Montgomery County since 2007, and previously served in CMCSS as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and Director of High Schools. The Board will begin contract negotiations, and Dr. Luna-Vedder is expected to begin as the CMCSS Director of Schools in July.

For more information on Dr. Luna-Vedder from her application packet, click here.

The following administrative appointments were announced on May 10, 2022.

Byrns Darden Elementary School Principal

Christie Irwin has been selected as the principal of Byrns Darden Elementary School. She has served as an assistant principal at Woodlawn Elementary School since 2015. Previously, she served as an academic coach at Pisgah Elementary School and a school in Texas and as a teacher at Kenwood Elementary School, beginning her career in public education in 2003. She received Teacher of the Year distinctions in 2006, 2007, and 2008 and the Distinguished Classroom Teacher award in 2014.

Irwin earned her Certificate in Leadership K-12 from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, M.A. Ed. in Elementary Education from Cumberland University, and B.S. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University.

Rossview Elementary School Principal

Frances Ann Camp has been selected as the principal of Rossview Elementary School, replacing Madeline Haller who will be retiring at the end of this school year. With 17 years of experience in school administration, Camp currently serves as an assistant principal at Rossview Elementary School and has served as an assistant principal at Barkers Mill Elementary School. She has ten years of experience as a teacher at Hazelwood Elementary and has also served for a year as a substitute teacher.

Camp earned her M.A. Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Trevecca Nazarene University and B.S. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University. She completed the CMCSS Leadership Series and the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy.

East Montgomery Elementary School Assistant Principal

Whitney Kogut has been selected as the assistant principal at East Montgomery Elementary School, replacing Bonnie Digby who will be retiring at the end of this school year. Kogut currently serves as an academic coach at East Montgomery Elementary and previously served as a teacher at the school, beginning her career in public education in 2010. She has served as a Site-Based Induction Specialist and in several school-level leadership roles.

Kogut earned her M.A. Ed. in Educational Leadership, M.A. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, and B.S. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University.

West Creek Elementary School Assistant Principal

Shawn Nelson has been selected as an assistant principal at West Creek Elementary School. He currently serves as a Leadership Resident, gaining administrative experience at both Glenellen Elementary and Barkers Mill Elementary schools. Previous experience includes serving as an academic coach at Minglewood Elementary School, academic coach and teacher at Byrns Darden Elementary School, and teacher at Hazelwood Elementary School, beginning his career in public education in 2012. He won the Distinguished Educator Green Apple Award and was named Teacher of the Year in 2018.

Nelson earned his M.A. Ed. in Educational Leadership and B.S. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University.

CMCSS is reaching out with two operational updates for the 2022-2023 school year. Please note these changes will not take effect until next school year. We want to provide families with as much advance notice as possible.

End of USDA Waiver and No-Cost Meals

The USDA has not indicated that they will be extending the waiver for school districts to continue offering no-cost student meals for the 2022-2023 school year. For the past two school years, CMCSS has been able to provide breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to students each school day because of the USDA’s waivers.

At this time, unless CMCSS receives notification otherwise from the USDA, the district will be required to return to its normal meal payment methods in August. Families will continue to be highly encouraged to preload funds on a student’s online account. More information will be communicated before next school year, but below are the meal prices:

Elementary Student Meal Prices

Breakfast (Full Pay): $1.00

Breakfast (Reduced): $0.30

Lunch (Full Pay): $2.65

Lunch (Reduced): $0.40

Secondary Student Meal Prices

Breakfast (Full Pay): $1.15

Breakfast (Reduced): $0.30

Lunch (Full Pay): $2.85

Lunch (Reduced): $0.40

It will be extremely important that all families who believe their children qualify for free or reduced meals complete the application for the 2022-2023 school year. CMCSS will provide more information on the application over the summer and at the beginning of next school year. Applications for next school year cannot be completed until later in July. Applications must be submitted and approved each school year for a student to receive benefits.

Transportation Parent Responsibility Zone

In an effort to improve transportation services while facing the ongoing local, state, and national bus driver shortage, CMCSS is updating its transportation routes and qualifications for the 2022-2023 school year.

State law establishes that school districts may provide school transportation for children who live more than 1 ½ miles from their zoned school. CMCSS has exceeded the expectations of the state law to provide transportation to elementary students who live more than half a mile (.5) from their zoned school and middle and high school students who live more than a mile (1) from their zoned school.

Effective the 2022-2023 school year, CMCSS will be expanding the radius of the parent responsibility zone (PRZ), the area in which families are responsible for providing transportation (car rider, walker, etc.), by half a mile for both elementary and secondary students to:

• 1 mile for elementary students
• 1 ½ miles for middle and high school students

Exceptions: 

For student safety, transportation will still be provided for students who live in the PRZ under the following travel conditions:

• 4 or more lanes of traffic without a crossing guard
• Roads with insufficient road width (less than 24 ft.) with speeds above 35 mph
• Roads with no sidewalks with speeds above 35 mph

Notes:

• This change will not impact students who receive Special Populations transportation services as indicated in their IEPs.
• Any future development within the PRZ that has accessible safe travel paths may not be eligible for CMCSS transportation.
• If a daycare is in the PRZ, CMCSS will not provide transportation.

The Transportation Department will be directly contacting families who have students in the 1/2 mile expanded zone. Click here for more information and interactive maps of the PRZ for each school.