Moore County Schools ace compliance review

8:34 p.m. Oct. 13, 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County Schools are in full compliance with all state and federal education laws, according to the 2025 Local Education Agency (LEA) Compliance Report reviewed and approved by the Moore County Board of Education during its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 13.

Director of Schools Chad Moorehead told board members that the district continues to meet state and federal standards for operations, instruction, and student services.

“To my knowledge, we are in compliance with all of those,” he said. “Anytime it’s determined that we’re not, we make corrections as soon as possible.”

The annual compliance report is a required review for every Tennessee school district. It certifies adherence to a broad range of policies covering teacher licensure, curriculum standards, special education, transportation, and financial management. Approval of the report keeps the district in good standing with the Tennessee Department of Education and ensures continued state and federal funding.

Accountability and Academic Progress

The board also approved the district’s Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Accountability Report. This state-mandated measure tracks progress toward academic goals. Moorehead said the district continues to make gains in mathematics while focusing on improvements in early literacy.

Moorehead noted that while third-grade reading proficiency scores have fluctuated in recent years, high school math achievement has climbed steadily.

“When we first set our math goals, we aimed to reach 34 percent proficiency by Year 5,” he said. “We’re already at 31.2 percent in Year 2, so we’ve made some real gains.”

The TISA report, which replaced the state’s previous funding model, requires school systems to identify goals, report test outcomes, and detail how student achievement funding is used to support learning objectives.

A/V Course Added to Curriculum

The board approved adding Audio/Visual I, a career and technical education (CTE) course, to the high school curriculum. The class will be taught by Kenny Schultz, who is certified in the field, and will utilize the school’s existing broadcasting equipment.

“There won’t be any additional costs to start this program,” Moorehead said. “It’s a good way to give students an elective credit without a budget impact.”

The two-term course will be open to students in grades 9 through 12 and aligns with state-approved CTE standards. Board members anticipate strong student interest given the success of the school’s broadcasting team.

Personnel, Finance, and Facilities

• Moorehead also reported several personnel changes, including interim hires Kayla Camp (sixth-grade English Language Arts), Gillian Schechter (fifth-grade English Language Arts), and Jacob Richards (preschool teacher assistant). The board accepted the resignation of preschool assistant Missy Baucom.

• Moorehead also provided an update on the county’s Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN), which has been approved and funded by the county commission. The district plans to repay the note once property tax revenues begin arriving later this year.

• In addition, Moorehead confirmed that the county approved funding for new science textbooks.

• Regarding facilities, Moorehead mentioned that the first layer of security window film was installed during fall break, with the second layer scheduled for Thanksgiving break.

Community Events

The district’s annual Trunk or Treat will be held 4-5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Lynchburg Elementary School. The high school football game slated initially for Halloween has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 30.