Enrollment, special-ed needs stretch Moore County schools

System remains ahead of 2025 enrollment as the BOE adds a special-ed assistant and tackles fall projects

8:29 p.m. Sept. 14, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County Schools has seen a decline of a dozen students since August, but the bigger picture has not changed: the district is still growing, and some of that growth is putting pressure on staff.

The Moore County Board of Education on Monday approved another special education assistant for Lynchburg Elementary School after officials said a new student is arriving with an individualized education program requiring a full-time, one-on-one assistant.

The student will bring the elementary school’s HMI enrollment to 16, which Director of Schools Chad Moorehead described as an “explosion of high-need students” in the district. Staff members have been shifting existing assistants around to cover needs, but an IEP requiring one-on-one support leaves the district little choice but to add the position.

State funding tied to the student’s learning needs will help, though Moorehead cautioned that it may not cover the entire cost right away. Tennessee school funding generally relies on the previous year’s student demographics, leaving districts to cover some costs until funding catches up.

The board unanimously approved the position.

Enrollment still running ahead

Moore County currently has 933 students – 524 at LES and 409 at Moore County High School. That is 12 fewer than Moorehead reported in August, when enrollment stood at 945, but still well ahead of where the district sat a year ago.

Last September, Moore County had 906 students. Two years ago, it had 840.

The August count had already shown Moore County bucking the regional trend. Moorehead told the board then that he was the only director on a regional call reporting enrollment growth rather than decline. The district had also received $237,301 in state fast-growth funding tied to the previous school year’s increase.

Moorehead said Monday the regional picture has not changed much. “Ours is ticking up at the moment,” he said.

Thompson returns to the board

Monday was the first meeting for newly elected District 3 board member Greg Thompson, though he already knows his way around the table.

Thompson previously served on the school board from September 2020 until November 2024.

District 1 remains unsettled. Ed Cashion’s elected term has expired, but he has agreed to continue serving until a replacement is chosen.

The board also decided to hold off on changing its regular meeting time, in part so the next District 1 member can have a say. Meetings are currently held at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month.

Calendar approved for 2027-28

The board approved the district’s 2027-28 instructional calendar after officials reported strong support through a community survey.

According to Moorehead, 93% of respondents favored sending the proposed calendar to the board for approval.

Moorehead is also looking farther down the road. He has begun work on a 2028-29 calendar that could come before the board around February, putting families more than a year ahead when planning vacations and other commitments.

Board members were receptive, particularly after Moorehead noted that an earlier calendar could still be adjusted if elections, community events, or other conflicts moved after its adoption.

Restroom work comes in cheaper

A Lynchburg Elementary restroom project discussed in August is coming in considerably cheaper than first expected.

After that meeting, the district sought another quote. Moorehead told the board Monday that the new price is $9,500, compared with an earlier estimate of more than $20,000.

The work is scheduled for fall break. The district may tackle additional flooring later in the school year, after administrators get further into the budget and have a better idea of where the money stands.

Another August priority is already taking shape. Handheld radios and desktop stations are now in place, with radios aboard school buses scheduled for installation during fall break. A retaining wall and concrete pad on the LES playground are also expected to be finished during the break.

Detection dogs can now find vapes

Moore County’s InterQuest detection canine program has returned for the school year, and the dogs can now detect vaping devices.

The canine teams visit the high school eight times during the school year. The district provides the company with dates to avoid due to testing or other major activities, but administrators are not told which of the remaining days the dogs will arrive.

Moorehead called the program a deterrent, saying the uncertainty gives students another reason to leave prohibited items at home.

Giel praised after choking emergency

MCHS Principal Andy Giel was also recognized Monday after stepping in during a choking emergency early in the school year.

Moorehead told the board that Giel was in the cafeteria when a student began choking. Another person had already attempted the Heimlich maneuver before Giel stepped in and successfully cleared the student’s airway.

“He stepped in and saved one of our students from choking,” Moorehead said.

In other business:

• The board adopted a shorter, one-page visitor code of conduct after the district’s school attorney reviewed it and found it legally compliant.

• Members also approved the Student Disciplinary Hearing Authority, renewed the extended school program without changing fees, continued the district’s existing purchasing-requisition procedure, approved several overnight field trips, and approved a copier lease that will now go before the Metro Council.

• The board also approved a foster care liaison job description required for state and federal monitoring. Moore County Schools is currently undergoing an on-site federal program review, something Moorehead said has happened only once before during his 20 years in the director’s office.\

• The meeting closed with the annual election of officers. Tanya Vann will continue as chair, Kaleigh Hatfield will serve as vice chair, and Thompson was elected chair pro tem.