McKenzie Schools Receive State Waiver for Storm-Related Closures

McKENZIE (March 3) — The McKenzie Special School District has received state approval to waive 10 instructional days missed due to Winter Storm Fern, Director of Schools Dr. Justin Barden announced during Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

To negate a stockpile day used on December 5 for McKenzie High School's appearance at the TSSAA state football championship, the school board voted to make Thursday, March 19, a full instructional day. The day was initially reserved for a parent-teacher conference at the elementary and middle schools.

The parent-teacher conference will be held after school on March 19, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Report cards will go home on Friday, March 20.

The waiver restored 10 stockpile days, and the March 19 schedule change returned one additional day, bringing the district’s total available stockpile days to 13.

The school board viewed the proposed 2027–28 school calendar.

The proposed 2027–28 school year begins with a half day on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Fall break is scheduled for Oct. 11–15. Christmas break is Dec. 20–Jan. 3 for students. Spring break is set for March 27–31, and the school year concludes with a half day on May 18, 2028. The Class of 2028 graduates May 14.

The most significant change to the 2027–28 calendar involves the handling of inclement weather days. Previous calendars stated that make-up days would be used after six inclement weather days. The new calendar instead notes that stockpiled inclement weather days may be used at the board’s discretion each year.

The board approved the 2027-28 school calendar and the line change involving stockpile days.

The board also approved the following club-related trips for McKenzie High School students: nine DECA members will attend the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Ga., April 24–29; 12 Beta Club students will attend the National Beta Regional Leadership Summit in Gatlinburg from March 11–13; 10 FBLA students will attend the FBLA State Leadership Conference in Chattanooga from April 6–9; and eight FFA students will attend the FFA State Convention in Gatlinburg from March 21–25.

Dr. Barden will attend the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS) Legislative Conference in Nashville March 4–5, where he will hear from legislators and network with other directors from across the state. At this conference, he also plans to speak with state legislators about Carroll County's sales tax dollars and how they will be used with the inclusion of South Carroll's two virtual schools.

MSSD faces a potential loss of $126,000 in local sales tax revenue due to South Carroll Special School District’s virtual school programs.

Because the virtual academy serves students statewide, South Carroll's total enrollment count increases. Local sales tax revenue in Carroll County is distributed to school districts based on average daily enrollment. As enrollment rises in South Carroll’s virtual program, a larger share of county sales tax dollars shifts to that district.

Dr. Barden is in talks with Dr. Jonathan Kee from the Huntingdon Special School District, which is slated to lose $125,000 due to the same issue. The two superintendents are working with local legislators to find a solution, but Dr. Barden said they are "not making a lot of headway."

The McKenzie Special School District Board of Education's next meeting is Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. in the McKenzie High School library.