001with uh eight members present. Um I will ask Councilwoman Toombs to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please. If you come to the podium, just >> [clears throat] >> Okay. All right. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, ma'am. Um due to some logistical issues, we are going to um rearrange the agenda. And so, I would like someone to um I guess I'm making the motion to that we will do board reports, go into governance issues, do director's reports, then public participation, and remove the MNPS zoning um option until the next meeting. So, to say that again, to we are for the adoption of the agenda, the
002agenda would be board reports, governance issues with the removal of the um Mia Imagine zoning option phase out, then we'll go to director's report, and then we'll do public >> Second. >> There's been a second. All in favor? >> Aye. >> Any Any opposed? Okay, passes unanimously. We will now go into budget reports. We'll lead to budget and finance to give a report of the budget. >> Thank you, Chair Player. Uh we just had the uh we just concluded the the budget and finance committee meeting uh prior to this meeting. Uh we we approved the nutrition funding budget as well as the federal operating budget. We made amendment to the recommended operating budget to include um there was a recommend The district recommended that we remove one day from support staff. The board however recommended
003encountered that with keeping the second day for the support staff and removing uh the extension of pre-K uh to the Hillwood cluster uh for the FY27 school year. So that budget has been approved as amended um and proposed um and we have the current FY26-27 budget at hand. Thank you. >> Thank you. We will now move on to the consent agenda. Um may I have a motion for the consent agenda? Motion to approve. There's been a motion for the consent agenda. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Consent agenda. >> Member Tyler. >> Yeah. Does it include our Does it include this the what we just voted on? >> Yes, it includes >> like to pull the operating budget and vote on it separately. >> Um Okay. Uh well hold on, we have a
004motion on the floor. So there is a motion to to approve consent agenda as listed. >> I don't want to relitigate it. I just want to vote separately. >> Okay. Um >> I just want to pull the uh D. I want to pull A1D. >> Um well there okay well the issue is there's a there's a motion on the floor. >> Mhm. >> Um Who So who made it? >> You can. >> Member Mays. >> Yes, uh I'll rescind the motion made to approve the consent agenda. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh there's been a motion to approve the consent Oh, there has not been a motion. Motion for consent agenda has been uh rescinded withdrawn rescinded. I will entertain a motion for the consent agenda. Member Tyler. >> I may remove um action
0051D from the consent agenda, please. >> Okay, so you have a motion to approve the consent agenda with the removal of 1D, the fiscal fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget. Is there a second? >> Second. >> There's been a motion and a second. All in favor, say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? All right. Um is Okay. So, we will vote on the consent agenda with um with 1D. So, mo- motion to approve the consent agenda. Uh we just did that, didn't we? Yes, sorry. All right. Now, we'll move on to the fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget. Um is there a motion for the 2026-2027 operating budget? >> Motion to approve. >> There's been a motion to approve by member Mays. Is there a second? Second by member Elrod. Discussion. There is no dis- >> The
006budget committee, if you can want to see the discussion. >> All right. Um all in favor of the operating budget, raise your hand. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Uh TK, [clears throat] are you are you Okay. Um any oppose? All right. The operating budget uh passes 8 to 1. No, 7 to 1, sorry. Seven in favor, one against. All right. Now, we will move on to the director's report. Dr. Battle. Or >> All right, thank you um so much, chair player and good evening again to all our board members. So, not able to be with you in person tonight because I'm on my way back from supporting our avid teams from across the district at Avid National Summer Institute today. However, the highlight of the day was one of our students Isaiah Mindel who
007finished fifth grade at Smith Elementary and is on his way to World Heart Magnet Middle School gave the keynote address at the National Conference this afternoon and he did a terrific job that made us all so so very proud. As you all know, Avid is one of many strategies we use in our schools to ensure that we're giving our students the opportunities they need to learn, to grow, to thrive and to succeed and I think you'll see that thing throughout the 25-26 state of schools video which captures the energy, the incredible work and the great achievements of another outstanding year for National Public Schools. I am proud of what we have all done as a team over the past 12 months. In fact, we know nationally it is very recognized in everything we do both
008our academic and non-academic achievements. With amazing work by our students, our educators, support staff, our families and our community partners, I'm excited to share so much of it with you tonight. So, tonight we're pleased to share our annual 2026 state of schools video presentation celebrating the many successes of the 25-26 school year and looking ahead to start the 26-27 school year in just a few short weeks. This year I'm especially pleased that we're able to tell the story of National Public Schools not just through my voice but through the voices of our students, our families, educators and community partners who are vital to our continued success. And before we hit play, I also want to give a huge thank you to the Board of Education for your unwavering support, your advocacy and just the celebration
009of our talented students and our phenomenal educators who are just leading such impactful work every single day. So, this song we're going to get played and I hope you enjoy it. >> [singing] [music] >> As I reflect on the 2025-2026 school year, [music] I reflect around greatness, excellence. I reflect around our students. Our students are so talented. [music] We always say and believe that all of our young people are talented. It is our responsibility to ensure that they have the opportunities for their talents >> [music] >> to really grow and for them to thrive. So, I reflect on the school year, I think about our educators, [music] our teachers, our support staff, our principals, all of the phenomenal educators and [music] leaders right here serving Nashville public schools who wake up every day with an
010unwavering commitment [music] to ensuring every student is known. When I reflect on the school year, I think about our families. I [music] think about our parents and guardians and loved ones who support our young people every day and they also show up and really lean in to ensuring that we're providing a high-quality [music] educational experience to all of our students. I think about this community, the power of [music] partnerships. We have incredible partners here in Nashville public schools. Everyone from our Board of Education [music] to our mayor, other elected officials, but businesses small and large, professional teams, Um, everyone [music] who is willing to show up, um, be a part of the planning [music] and take an action to ensure that right here in Nashville, we're supporting all of our students, our student athletes, [music]
011our scholars toward success. This has been [music] a school year focus on improving the conditions for teaching and learning. A year focus on becoming a learning organization for every [music] stakeholder that's a part of this learning community. This year [music] we opened up three new, um, elementary schools or fully renovated, um, elementary schools. We renamed, um, one of our middle schools. And the strategic purpose and goal, um, for the work that we're doing around our capital projects is to ensure that our students, our educators have spaces for learning and teaching that match the talent that they bring [music] into our buildings, um, every day. We also find great pride in the namings of our school buildings. this year we renamed Brick [music] Church Middle School, um, after Richard H. Dinkins, um, who has a legacy
012of educational [music] advocacy, um, and equity in the city. And so, that [music] history being a part of the namings of our schools and how and how we think about, um, how we educate [music] our students is critically important now and in the future. >> I think that for my students, um, the every student known mantra, it shows up in their relationships with their teachers. Um, especially at the high school level when the, um, ownership of the of the academics is the most on my kids, they have been able to create relationships. Um and that doesn't happen just because they keep talking to the teacher. The teacher has to put that. Um The teacher has to want to have a relationship and work also to build that relationship. So, my kids um have been able
013to build a relationships with the Spanish teacher that they were able to have for a couple of years, with the soccer coach, with the theater teacher um in ways that have been really important to them being seen and known on a daily basis when they've been in high school. >> As a parent, the mantra every student known um means to us that there are going to be people in each of our children's schools who are going to meet the needs of not only our children, but all different children of different backgrounds um who all show up in one building with different experiences and needs. And there are people that will meet those needs and help our students thrive regardless of their background. >> One of the things that sets National Public Schools apart from any
014other school district or type of school is our mantra every student known. And while we have an opportunity to celebrate a ton of success every year, right, as a district, as individual schools, um programs, the beauty about our families and our educators and our students in National Public Schools is that we strive to ensure that every student experiences a level of success, a level of support, a level of value, and care in our schools. We individualize what we want those experiences to look like, feel like, what we want them to be. And our parents being a part of that planning and the community partners being a part of that planning allows us to realize that outcome for our families. What I would let another parent know about the schools that my kids attend now is
015that um whenever they do need help, um there is several different resources for them to be able to access as well as a parent to be able to access and see their their progress. Um also there is a um there's there is truly a emphasis on every student known because um whatever uh needs that they have, I get so many notifications and emails and text messages and phone calls just about the resources that are available to students and parents. Um and so that also was one of the draws uh for us coming back to MNPS. Strong family engagement has been a critical ingredient to the success of National Public Schools. You don't just achieve being a four-time repeat level five school district or being designated as an advancing school district by not having families um
016involved in the planning. We have taken great pride here in National Public Schools of learning together. Um we've been engaging in professional learning so that we understand um that family engagement is a golden accelerator to student success. Uh we've partnered with our parents in many ways at the school level, at the district level, out in the community so that their voices are heard, their voices are realized, and a part of the strategic planning for our organization. >> Hey everyone, at Ascension St. Thomas we're so excited to invest in the future of healthcare for our community in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools and Nashville State Community College. Together we're shaping a really novel and innovative partnership for students in high school at Pearl-Cohn and at Maplewood to have an opportunity to pursue an associate's degree
017as a medical professional. This is such a unique opportunity, debt-free, without the burden of tuition for themselves and their families. They can pursue a career to serve their neighbors, serve our community as a healthcare professional. Congratulations to our students. We just completed our first year. We're excited for this to be a generational change, for new options for education and service to our community. >> One of the things we've always known as an educational organization is that we cannot do this work alone. Partnerships are so critical to the work that we do. There is power in those partnerships because we all play a critical role in educating our students. I could go on and on about the critical partners here in Nashville. This year alone, we launched three new early college programs in our zone high
018school. What made that possible in launching that were partnerships. I mean, we originally had a partnership with PNC Bank, but now we have new partnerships with Vanderbilt, with Ascension Saint Thomas, with a Nashville Area Chamber that's allowed us to expand that wonderful opportunity for our students. So, what does that mean? That means students are continuing to study and double down in their career academy fields, preparing for their futures. At the same time, they're enrolled in college-level courses. They're obtaining college-level credits and ultimately, they're graduating, most times before they graduate from high school, with an associate's degree from Nashville State Community College. So, those partnerships have afforded us the opportunity both in funding and resources, but also mentorship for our students to not only enter the early college programs, but to complete them with a great
019level of success. >> It's really important for us to partner with Metro Nashville Public Schools because we're all about empowering the next generation of Titans. Um, you know, as a Nashville native, it is all about representation. We have a sports team, we're one of a few cities that has multiple professional sports teams within the city, and it's only right for us to use our platform, our resources to connect with students across Metro Nashville public schools to make sure that they know not only are we rooting for them the same way that they're rooting for us, but that we know that as Nashvillians ourselves, we want them to be a part of this team on and off the field in some shape, form, or fashion. And so, it's a priority for us. Our students are a
020reflection of who we are as adults, and the doors that were opened for me as a Nashvillian, I want to make sure that we are doing the same thing for the students uh who are currently in Nashville. And by partnering with Metro Nashville public schools, it just gives us another opportunity to create access, to support students at every level of their student uh journey, and making sure that they're successful. >> The Nashville Predators are so proud to partner with Metro Nashville public schools throughout the year. These schools are the heartbeat of our city, and we really believe that, which means when we feature teachers in our games and provide them funding and recognition, we're so proud to be able to do that. We also have partnered with Metro Sports Authority to provide access to the
021behind the scenes of what we do in sports and entertainment through getting to talk with our staff and getting to see our building after hours. And we've also had the privilege of featuring student artwork and creativity in our games, inviting students out to kids day and afternoon games so that they can experience Preds hockey for themselves. Thank you, Dr. Battle, for all the opportunities to be involved. It's been such a gift, and we can't wait to continue to get creative about the ways we can work together, because these students, these educators, these staff members have been nothing but wonderful to work with and we can't wait to find ways to give more students exposure to the sports and entertainment world in our city and make Nashville an even better place tomorrow as it is today.
022>> The future of our city starts right here in our schools. That's why our partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools means so much to us. Together, we're investing in students, supporting educators, and strengthening communities all across Nashville. Whether it's through player school visits with our Kick Start to Literacy Reading Program, coaching education clinics, or building safe places for youth to play the game, we're committed to working with our district leaders to help students stay active, build confidence, and learn the value of teamwork both on and off the pitch. We're proud to stand alongside Dr. Battle and the many educators championing the incredible work that they do every single day to inspire the next generation of students and ensure every student is known. Because when we support our public schools, we support Nashville. >> We often
023times speak a lot about being here Music City, USA. Here's the reality. We have so many professional organizations, sports teams here who are committed to the success of our young people as well. We partner with the Tennessee Titans. They've been an incredible partner not only with our athletic fields across all of our high school stadiums. They're working with us with our Academies of Nashville partnerships. This year they helped us launch our first ever middle school girls flag football teams, which has been tremendous success. So years past we launched high school, now we have the great opportunity for our middle school girls as well. We have a great partnership with the Nashville Predators. They too have shown up for our students in so many ways. I reflect on the STEM day that was held at the
024arena, Bridgestone Arena, and our students being able to come in and engage in STEM activities that were aligned to what they were learning in the classroom. Yes, they had an opportunity to also meet professional athletes and also behind the scene career fields that they are interested in or may not have known about before having that experience on their campus. And then the Nashville Soccer Club continues to help us with the mini pitch fields at both our elementary and middle schools across the district. They're also great partners with us around our literacy work here in the district. So again, the power of partnerships. When we speak about partnerships, we mean partnerships in every way from school to home to the community because we know with that level of connectedness, we can continue to deliver on the
025great outcomes we're seeing right here in our school district. Music City High. What an incredible documentary. Um the vision behind Music City High was to really put on display like the talents of our students. We have magnificent students and educators all across Nashville Public Schools. Music City High will focus on the arts here in Nashville Public Schools really celebrates Nashville Public Schools but also Nashville as a whole. We know that we are part of a Music City USA and it is our goal to ensure that our school district prepares our young people for the multitude of career opportunities and experiences they can have right here in Nashville. And if we don't recognize those talents, if we don't really pour into those talents and ensure that students are developing along the way and really showcasing that,
026we're missing a grand opportunity. So Music City High which um captures students at Cane Ridge High School, Hume Fogg High School, and Warner Elementary, um was so critically important for us to share the brilliance of our young people, not only to the community, but to the entire world. >> TSU, GO TIGERS! >> [laughter] >> University MNPS continues to be a key initiative here um in Nashville Public Schools. We have successfully partnered with every higher education institution right here in our city. Um and through that partnership, we are building a long pathway um of success for our students, starting early with mentorship opportunities, college visits, um the opportunity for our students to take college-level courses on their own campuses. It culminates with the opportunity to move on um into post-secondary opportunities at each of these institutions
027um at a rate that's simply no cost for most of our families. So, we're really excited about the four-year, four-ride experiences um that we've been able to afford in partnership with our higher education institutions. This year, then the 25-26 school year, we added an additional partner. So, we're now expanding to a regional model um and we're so proud that um just not too long ago, we were able to announce that the University of Tennessee Knoxville has joined as another amazing partner as a part of University MNPS. >> Ready to just press start on the mic. The more the merrier. >> So, during this school year, um we committed to taking a deep look um at our start times across our school district. It's been a long-standing conversation, um a desire for some of our families
028um and for our educators. Um we tried to take a very strategic approach, um bringing everyone, as many folks as possible, stakeholders, um to the tables as possible to make really informed decisions. Um what I know from my experience, um not only sitting in the seat as a superintendent, but also as a principal, principal supervisor, um and classroom teacher, um even small changes or shifts can make a huge difference to supporting our students well. So, next school year, we have our Board of um Education has approved and adopted um a shift in our start times. And um we're really excited about that. We're planning towards that because um even a few minutes when it comes to arrival um at school and how well our students are prepared to start their day really matters. We're super
029proud of our initiative around Kinderboxes this year for all of our kindergarten families. That partnership happened with Pencil, with the Pencil Foundation. Um the Pencil Foundation has a history of supporting the educational needs of our students by supporting um the work and the innovation and programming for our educators. So, we launched the Kinderboxes this year with the sole purpose of ensuring that every student will be first day ready. Um we want our families to enjoy their summer breaks. We want to relieve the stress and anxiety of preparing for the first day. We want our parents to just be empowered to show up and support our students. And we want our students and educators to have what they need in every single classroom. I'm so excited that next year we'll be launching every student known boxes
030for both kindergarten and first graders. So, we're extremely thankful um for the partnership with the Pencil Foundation and all the community organizations who donate and contribute resources um to ensure that we can deliver on the every student known boxes this year, Kinderboxes, to all of our kindergarten students. >> I've seen since Dr. Battle um has been leading the school district, a huge increase in partnerships. It really seems like it's been a focus Um and it seems like Dr. Battle has created a lot of opportunities both for post secondary education, other career readiness opportunities, I believe with corporate partnerships as well. And it's just really great to have MNPS be a part of the higher education and corporate landscape in Nashville and be like recognized by by those as valuable, you know, our students are valuable
031inputs to what they need. >> I just want to say that Metro schools just has a lot of great programs and a lot of opportunities for all students and like I said I I love the gym program for my daughter is actually just giving her just so much confidence where she feels like she can accomplish and do everything. That's why she's playing like multiple sports at one time, you know, running track and playing girls flag football and still being involved in student government because of all of these programs and she's making honor roll at the same time. So you know, it's it's great, you know, so it it just helps to make the kids more well-rounded and positive. >> The 2025-2026 school year proved to be another successful year for Nashville public schools. We have
032year-over-year continued to grow and achieve at historic rates for our school district. And it's important to recognize that because we do have a very continuous improvement mindset and structure here in our organization. And at the same time, um, got to continue to strive and push forward, um, so that more students are really captured, um, in that opportunity and the ability to continue to grow and achieve, um, at high levels. And so, we're not taking our foot off the gas. Um, it's important that we continue to stay focused on sustained incremental change, um, over time, but ultimately, our goal is to ensure that every student that we serve, um, continues to meet and exceed their expectations every single year. Um, the reality is, every year our students come back, um, from their summer break learning at
033higher levels, and we're committed to meeting them where they are, um, and not allowing them to stay there, but to continue to move, um, with the momentum that we're seeing as a school district. >> [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> Thank you very much. Good to see you at each. It takes a village to raise a child and we see with our partnerships that it takes the entire village. So thank you Dr. Battle on team for that state of Metro schools video. We will go on to public participation. Is Samira Hardcastle present? Samira Hardcastle? All right, Chris Pimpkin. >> Thanks. Thanks for having me. I guess I'm ready to start. Um >> I'm sorry. Yes, you can begin. >> Yeah, thank you. Hey, 2 weeks ago I was in here and I told
034you a story. I know I was reading from my phone so I wasn't able to make eye contact. I apologize for that. Told you the story of my daughter getting expelled from Antioch High School for finding a note in the bathroom, turning it into the office. She got blamed for writing that note. Um we went out. I hired a forensic analyst, a handwriting analysis person to really give us some proof. Did she write this or not? Um came back that they don't believe she wrote this note at all. So the only proof I have of of authorship is that my daughter did not write this note. Um this was back in January. So for 6 months I've been fighting this. My daughter did not write a note. She turned it in. She was scared. It
035was about a gun threat. She was present in the Antioch High School shooting. She was there on a field trip as an 8th grader to visit the new school she was going to go to when that shooting happened. She found this note that there was a gun and there was a threat. She turned it in not only to her hall monitor but to her ROTC captain. She got rushed to the office and then blamed for writing this note and expelled. We've been fighting this for a long time since January. All of my contact information is to probably the entire board. I've sent emails after email after email. For the last 2 months I've been asking, you know, for something. I believe Ms. Battle sent me an email saying, "Hey, we're going to uphold the expulsion."
036Um despite these facts of her not writing the note. Really don't think this is right. Um if you can't tell, I plan on being here to every meeting until I get this resolved. Um I'm really asking you guys to review this. Look into it. See something. Um that's a kid. I know I'm running out of time, but I saw a lot of opportunities in that meeting in that video that my daughter was denied and robbed of from this past school year. Um Thank you for letting me talk again. >> Thank you. Uh Lilith Pipkin. >> Uh my name is Lilith Pipkin. I was the student I was expelled from Antioch High School. I feel like all I was trying to do was do the right thing. And then in the end I was punished for
037that. I believe that is wrong for not only me, but any other student in every other district. That's That's truly just unfair. Um I didn't do anything wrong. I proved I didn't do anything wrong and I'm still expelled. I'm still being punished for it. Um I think if we have all these slideshows of student success, I feel like I should be a part of that as well as just Dr. Battle just said. Um [clears throat] every student has every opportunity. I was deprived of all of my opportunities as I was expelled um from Antioch High School that'll be in the Southeast um quadrant. Uh I I feel like it's just ignorant to ignore me like over and over and over again. I mean I I reported a threat at a school that was it already
038had an incident at it. My friend was murdered at the school. So that's that's that's scary. I mean I'm I'm coming to school every day. I'm in ROTC. I'm participating in sports. Honor roll student. I do the right thing and next thing I know I'm the one being punished. That's that's not fair to anyone and especially not myself. It's it's really just disappointing from not only Antioch but the board. Um seeing as I was essentially doing the right thing. I didn't do anything wrong. I proved I didn't do anything wrong. The school had no proof I did something wrong or wrote the note because I didn't. They didn't have any proof anybody else did. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um we'll now move on to announcements. There will be no meeting on July
03914th. So there will not be the first school board meeting on the second Tuesday of July. Um there will be the next board meeting will be July 28th. So the next school board meeting will be July 28th. All right, being no further business, this meeting is adjourned. >> This has been a service of the Metro Nashville network. If you would like to see this presentation again, or for more information on this and other programs, visit nashville.gov.