At its February 21 meeting, the WCS School Board voted 8-2 to uphold the decision of the Reconsideration Committee regarding the Wit and Wisdom curriculum.
In his report, Superintendent Jason Golden thanked the Board members for their work, and he thanked school leadership and parents for their time and dedication. Golden also reminded the Board of their conversation at the February 17 work session, which included staffing and pay raises.
In Student Spotlights, 71 National Merit Finalists were celebrated. From Brentwood High, Max Aulino, Frankie Bailey, Luke Biddle, Sally Choi, Edith Corey, Seth Creech, Will Dawson, Jack Hudson, Andrew Li, Campbell McClendon, Maren McKean, Zoe Oldham, Russell Overton, Alice Qu, Harinishree Sathu, Sienna Shepherd, Noah True, Alexander Wilson, Rina Xu, Eric Youngberg and Jason Zhang were honored. Centennial High’s Abhinay Dixit, Preston Khetsavanh, Jackson Pfefferkorn, Rayyan Syed and Samuel Zachariah were recognized. Franklin High’s James Anisi, Lening Cui, Emma Edwards, Grace Fagan, Anthony Mendoza, Lisa Messier, William Poff, Ellen Sanders, Cathleen Smalley, Emily Taylor, Russell Warsetsky, Abby Webb and James Williams also received the National Merit Finalist designation. From Independence High, Hunter Basola, Sierra Beck, Jacob Daymude, Alexandra Hasamear, Srivatsav Nemmani, Laney Woynaroski and Ella Wyckoff were celebrated. Alex Campbell, Tyler Hummel and Joseff Ribble from Nolensville High were honored, as were Page High’s Shreeti Amit, Jack Peltier, Cooper Spain and Monica Vazquez. Ravenwood High also had several students be recognized: Ana Antic, Kaylee Bae, Ella Bullock-Papa, Daniel Chen, Jackson Doub, Regan Enderle, Amanda Huang, Ryan Jordan, Matthew Liu, Harshitha Marepally, Riya Mitra, Milind Muthiah, Snigdha Narayandas, Jackson Stone and Brooks Taylor. Two Renaissance High students, Mason Adams and Chase Fetherling, and one Summit High student, Jorge Ikeda-Sanchez, were also celebrated.
Six students also scored a perfect composite score on their December ACT exam. Those students are Brentwood High’s Reagan Nelson, Page High’s Cynthia Liang, Ravenwood High’s Aarush Desai, Ravenwood High’s Andrew Kim, Ravenwood High’s Sophie McAtee and Ravenwood High’s Shiv Mehta.
Many students were also recognized for their skills onstage. Twenty-one students joined the Tennessee Theater Educators Association (TTEA) All-State Musical Theater, including Centennial High’s Nassim Akbari, Merritt Hanemann, Bella Karlsson, Abigail Levy, Celeste Phillips, Kyle Varenkamp and Nicole Varenkamp. They are directed by Bailey Mann. Franklin High’s Owen Minor and Logan Plowman also joined the All-State group, and they are directed by Tori Capps. From Independence High Emily Ebanks, Natalie Gleaton, Emily Kitch, Abram Knott, Zoe Phillips and Tristan Valdez were honored, and they are directed by Becky Williams. Nolensville High’s Jamie Estes, Emerson Hutcherson, Calista McIntyre, Elebetel Negusse, Whitney Reamer and Isabella Wickham were also named to the group, and they are directed by Laura Lindsey.
Students also joined the TTEA All-State Acting group. From Centennial High, Valencia Acosta, Nassim Akbari, Verona Collins, Bella Karlsson, Eva Muterspaugh, Celeste Phillips and Nicole Varenkamp were honored. They are directed by Bailey Mann. Franklin High’s Ella Holt, directed by Tori Capps, and Independence High’s Emily Ebanks, directed by Becky Williams, were also recognized, as were Nolensville High’s Isabella Wickham and Makenna Wevick. Nolensville High’s theater director is Laura Lindsey. From Summit High, under the direction of Annie Rice, Sarah Benchea, Crystal Carrasco, Emma Dolberry, Rebecca Dunlap, Logan Mazik, Josiphena Northcutt, Kendall Bauer and Emily Standridge also joined the group.
Several students were also recognized on the technical side as they joined the TTEA All-State Design/Tech. Centennial High’s Gi Delconte, Sivani Kasibhotla, Abigail McClure, Hunter Hennessy and Zac Rackley were celebrated, and they are under the direction of Bailey Mann. Nolensville High’s Alice Beattie, under Laura Lindsey’s direction, also received the designation.
In New Business, the Board:
- Approved the following items related to the 2021-2022 School Board Budget:
- Education Capital Projects Fund Amendment Intracategory Addition Wilkes Lane – $7,200,000
- General Purpose School Fund Amendment Athletic Donation – $80,000
- Education Capital Projects Fund (Intent to Fund) Elementary School East Cox Lane ITF – $15,000,000
- Approved the 2022-23 Family Tuition Rate (Annual Agenda Item)
- Approved School Fees (Annual Agenda Item)
- Approved ENCORE Summer 2022 Enrichment Program Fees (Annual Agenda Item – April)
- Approved the School Attendance Areas, Zoning and Nonresident Students policy on first and final reading
- Approved the following Board policies on first reading:
- Naming Facilities
- Interference/Disruption of School Activities
- Student Receiving Special Education Services
- Approved extending the 2022 Graduation Window
- Approved Resolution re: HB2833-SB2168
- Upheld the Reconsideration Committee Decision
In Other Business, the Board:
- Approved the Consent Agenda, which included:
- January 18, 2022, School Board Meeting Minutes
- Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Agreement for Students and Staff (Annual Agenda Item)
- Recommendation for Field Trip Fee Requests
A recording of the School Board meeting is available in its entirety.
The next regularly-scheduled Board meeting will take place Monday, March 21, and begin at 6:30 p.m.
