South Pike County School Board Discusses Facilities and New Education Policies

The South Pike County School Board held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, May 19, addressing a range of topics including facilities improvements, student enrollment changes, and preparation for new state-mandated education policies.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Tanya Wilcher updated the board on several district developments, including ongoing progress at the baseball and softball complex, which will soon be fully enclosed with fencing and feature a new batting cage pavilion.

With a number of new education laws recently passed at the state level, Wilcher said the district is preparing to draft and implement updated policies over the summer. Among the areas of focus are cell phone-free school environments, revised maternity leave policies, and compliance with other statewide mandates.

Academic Reports

The board also heard academic updates from staff members. Melissa Jones presented data on the High Impact Tutoring grant, highlighting measurable academic improvements among students who participated in the program.

James Riley reported on a busy and successful end-of-year schedule at Murfreesboro Elementary School, which recently hosted Field Day, student incentive trips, award ceremonies, and kindergarten graduation. He also introduced the school’s newest student engagement project: the Dawson Podcast.

The meeting concluded with continued discussion around policy planning and preparations for the 2025–2026 school year.