Posted in High School:

The following Point of Pride awards were presented by the CMCSS School Board during the August 2026 formal meeting.

2026 Middle School Track State Championship

At the 2026 Middle School Track State Championship, district athletes earned 2nd Place in the 4x200m relay. The team included:

Christina Webb, Coach
Morgan Chapman, Kenwood Middle School
Sadie Pegram, Montgomery Central Middle School
Acquese Marshall, New Providence Middle School
Jazaniya Price, Northeast Middle School

2026 High School Track State Championship

At the 2026 High School Track State Championship, district athletes earned top honors in several categories. The team included:

Marie Jones, TSSAA Class AAA State Track, 4th Place in Discus, Kenwood High School
Avery Young, TSSAA Class AA State Track, 2nd Place in Boys 3200 Meter, Montgomery Central High School
Gabrielle Taylor, TSSAA Class AAA State Track, 4th Place in Girls Triple Jump, Northwest High School

2026 High School Girls’ Flag Football State Championship

(not pictured)

West Creek High School was named a State Finalist and Region 7 Champions during the 2026 High School Girls’ Flag Football State Championship. The team includes:

Brooklynn Adams
MJ Anthony
Nahliyani Beasley
Mariana Bowen
Abby Card
Lynnda Cassady
Savannah Clark
Nicole Cushionberry
Deja Franklin
Samantha Franklin
Aaliyah Godfrey
Di’Anna Hudson
Marlie LaFrenier
Bella Laurin
Irelynn Laurin
E’rion Little
Aubrey McRae
Caitlyn Mercado
Lewiana Merriweather
Alexis Mock
Charlene Nunn
Kori Redding
Alyssandra Rodriguez
Lyssandra Rodriguez
Jayla Simpson
Ke’Aanna Wysinger
Savannah Yacopino
Aaron King, Coach

2026 National Junior Classical League Convention

In July, Kirkwood High School students attended the National Junior Classical League Convention at Indiana University and placed in several categories.

David Lee
1st Place – Latin Literature
2nd Place – Classical Art
3rd Place – Greek Life and Literature

Ekaterina Oelgoetz
1st Place – Pottery

The annual Kiwanis Club of Clarksville Interview-a-Veteran Essay Contest is now open to CMCSS students. Students in 6th through 12th grade have the opportunity to submit an essay based on an interview with a military veteran. Submissions are due by September 26, 2025.

All essays will be reviewed and judged based on a rubric, first by CMCSS and then by the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville judges. School winners will receive a plaque and $100 cash. The Grand Division Winners will receive another $100 and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. Grand Winner, Runner-up, and Most Inspiring and Heroic winners will read a two to three-minute excerpt of their essays at the Kiwanis Awards Luncheon.

Full rules are available here for the middle school submissions. 

Full rules are available here for the high school submissions. 

The middle school prompt is, “How did (Veteran’s name) service and sacrifice inspire me?”

High school students can choose one of two prompts: “How learning from (Veteran’s name) story has shaped my perspective on leadership, service, or resilience” and “Based on interviewing (Veteran’s name) and research, how important is military preparedness in today’s modern world?”

Interested families can fill out the application form here. Be sure to include your grade and ELA or English teacher’s name on your application. Families are encouraged to work with their students to learn about the history, courage, and sacrifice of military veterans.

The district has hosted a series of successful dyslexia screening events during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years for families in the Montgomery County community. All events are held at the CMCSS Learning Center, 343 Pageant Lane, Clarksville. Dates for the 2026-27 school year will be announced in the summer of 2026.

About the Participants

• During the 2025-26 school year, 98 families participated in evening screening events while 62 families participated in daytime screening events.
• Of the 160 families served:
  • All school levels (elementary, middle, and high) were screened
  • Several out-of-district students were screened, including private, Fort Campbell, out-of-state, and homeschool students

To participate in the screening, children must be at least four years old and up to 12th grade. Students do not have to be enrolled in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. A parent or guardian must remain on-site during the screening. If the child is a CMCSS student, the screener’s results will be shared with the child’s school.

If a student has been previously screened for characteristics of dyslexia, please bring or share the information using the registration link.

Event Dates and Times

2026-27 dates will be announced soon

Additional Resources

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that affects reading and spelling skills at the word level. Individuals with dyslexia manifest along a spectrum, with some impacted in minor ways and others experiencing significant difficulty acquiring the ability to recognize and spell words and read with automaticity and fluency.

Click here to read the Signs of Dyslexia by Age from the National Center on Improving Literacy. 

Click here to read about understanding the definition of Dyslexia from the National Center on Improving Literacy.

Click this link to read the Dyslexia Resource Guide

Click this link to see the Screening for Characteristics of Dyslexia – Companion Guide

Why is Screening Important?

By screening for early warning indicators of characteristics of dyslexia, teachers and instructors can better pinpoint areas of concern and design support. If your child’s profile reflects characteristics of dyslexia, parents or guardians will be provided information about dyslexia, and the school will be notified of the screening data. A student does not need to be formally diagnosed with dyslexia to receive appropriate intervention. The survey-level assessments used in screening are sufficient to identify your child’s needs and plan for dyslexia-specific intervention.

How to Participate

Screenings will be held on the dates above. Families must sign up for an appointment time via the Google Form above. No walk-ins will be available. There will also be an option on the form to discuss your child’s reading data and answer questions. This will not include a screener, and the student does not have to be in attendance.

On December 19, the Tennessee Department of Education released the 2023-24 State Report Card with additional data, including school letter grades. The A-F school letter grades for Tennessee schools were implemented in 2023. School letter grades are calculated using several pieces of data, including student achievement and growth on standardized assessments, subgroup performance, and college and career readiness at the high school level. Since implementation, CMCSS has not had any schools rated at the lowest level, an F. CMCSS has continued this trend in 2023-24 and made significant improvements from 2022-23.

In CMCSS, 90% of schools received an average or better letter grade of an A, B, or C, an increase from 73% in 2022-2023. Nearly half of CMCSS schools performed in the top categories, earning an A or B, and the number of schools earning a D decreased by 64%. There were no F grades in CMCSS.

Over 30% of schools improved their letter grades from last year, including a significant 3-grade improvement at Northeast Elementary School from a D to an A, and 2-grade improvements at Montgomery Central Middle School (C to A) and Moore Magnet Elementary School (D to B).

Click here to review the Tennessee Department of Education’s School Letter Grade Dashboard. The TCAP Family Portal can be found here, and additional online education tools can be found here.

The following administrative announcements were made on July 2, 2024.

CMCSS K-12 Virtual School Principal

Keith Parker has been selected as the principal of CMCSS K-12 Virtual School. Parker has served as an assistant principal at CMCSS K-12 Virtual since the school was founded in 2021. Previously, he served for two years as the Principal at Kenwood High School and four years as an assistant principal and STEM Academy administrator at Kenwood High School. He began his teaching career with CMCSS in 2007, serving for two years as an academic coach at Kenwood High, West Creek High, and Northwest High schools and six years as a teacher at Kenwood High and West Creek Middle schools. Parker earned his M.Ed. in School Administration from Sam Houston University and his B.S. in History Education from Austin Peay State University.

Northeast High School Assistant Principals

Dr. Andrew Knowles and Dr. Lauren McCurdy have been selected as assistant principals at Northeast High School.

Dr. Knowles currently serves as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central Middle School. Previously, he served for 12 years as the Director of Instrumental Music at Northeast High School, one year as an Assistant Band Director, and two years as a substitute teacher. Dr. Knowles has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles, including CMCSS Lead Instrumental Music Teacher, Northeast High School Fine Arts Department Chair, and Accreditation Committee Chairperson. In addition to the many honors his ensembles have received over the years, he was named a Teacher of the Year in 2020, Green Apple Award recipient in 2011, 2013, and 2014, and was Northeast’s Soaring Eagle Award winner in 2005. He is a 2018 graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy. Dr. Knowles received his Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands, M.A.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Bethel University, and a B.S. in Music Education from Austin Peay State University.

Dr. Lauren McCurdy currently serves as an assistant principal and administrator of the Academy of Media Arts and Technology at Rossview High School. She has 15 years of teaching experience at Rossview High School and in Trigg County, Kentucky. Dr. McCurdy has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles, including Freshman Capstone Coordinator, District Advisory Council Member, and CTE Professional Learning Community Leader. She is a 2019 graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy. Dr. McCurdy earned her Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice, Ed.S. in Accountability and Instructional Leadership, and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Northwest High School Assistant Principal

James A. Sensabaugh has been selected as an assistant principal at Northwest High School. Currently, he serves as an educator and Academy Lead in the West Creek High School Academy of Teaching and Learning and as an adjunct professor of education at Nashville State Community College. Sensabaugh began his career in education in 2012 as a teacher and athletics coach at Rossview High School, and he has served as an Assistant Principal of Student Culture, Associate Dean of Students, Instructional Coach, and teacher at schools in Nashville. Additionally, he served for five years as a Human Resources Specialist for the Tennessee National Guard. Sensabaugh earned his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University and B.S. in History Education from Austin Peay State University.

On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, we will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse in Clarksville-Montgomery County. This will be a different experience than the total solar eclipse in August 2017, when our community was a prime location in the path of totality. However, this will still be a great learning experience for students. CMCSS has purchased ISO-certified solar eclipse safety glasses for students and employees. Weather and schedules permitting, schools may plan educational activities and provide opportunities for students to view the eclipse at school.

If you would prefer to pick up your student early from school, students will be counted present for an entire day if you pick them up after they have been in school for a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes.

If you do not want your child to view the eclipse at school, please send a written note to your child’s school by Friday, April 5 to exempt them from participation in any viewing activities.

CMCSS is offering Open Enrollment in specific schools and grade levels with available capacity for the 2024-2025 school year. Space for Open Enrollment is limited to only the specific schools and grades listed below.

Each grade listed has a limited number of available seats. If more requests are received than available seats, a lottery drawing will be held. Open Enrollment is only open to residents of Montgomery County. Applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be accepted from Monday, March 25 through Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Please see below for the application. Completed applications should be delivered in person or mailed to the CMCSS Enrollment Center, 430 Greenwood Ave. Clarksville, TN 37040, ATTN: Director of Student Services.  This Open Enrollment process is separate from the application period for schools and programs of choice that took place January – February 2024.

2024-2025 Open Enrollment Application (STS-F023)

The application above has expired.

CMCSS Open Enrollment Policy (STS-A004)

Due to the comprehensive rezoning that changed capacities at some schools, the District had to delay the determination of open seats for Open Enrollment until spring 2024.

The CMCSS Instruction and Curriculum Department will host information sessions throughout October for families interested in learning more about dyslexia and individualized learning plans for dyslexia (ILP-D.) Families may have received a phone call from their child’s teacher or paperwork sent home recently. These information sessions will answer questions regarding the CMCSS screening process and new state requirements. Caregivers can pre-submit questions to ensure they’re answered by emailing [email protected]. Pre-registration for the information sessions is not required.

Topics will include:

• What is dyslexia?
• How does CMCSS screen and support students with dyslexia?
• What are the updated state regulations with Individualized Learning Plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia? (ILP-D)
• What questions can I ask my child’s teacher to support my student at school?

Virtual Information Session Dates and Times

• Monday, October 2, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, October 3, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, October 23, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Click here to access the Zoom link (valid for all the above meeting times.) 

The CMCSS Instruction and Curriculum Department will host information sessions throughout October for families interested in learning more about dyslexia and individualized learning plans for dyslexia (ILP-D.) Families may have received a phone call from their child’s teacher or paperwork sent home recently. These information sessions will answer questions regarding the CMCSS screening process and new state requirements. Caregivers can pre-submit questions to ensure they’re answered by emailing [email protected]. Pre-registration for the information sessions is not required.

Topics will include:

• What is dyslexia?
• How does CMCSS screen and support students with dyslexia?
• What are the updated state regulations with Individualized Learning Plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia? (ILP-D)
• What questions can I ask my child’s teacher to support my student at school?

Virtual Information Session Dates and Times

• Monday, October 2, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, October 3, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, October 23, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Click here to access the Zoom link (valid for all the above meeting times.) 

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a program that provides eligible households up to $30/month toward their internet bills as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. All households with a child who was approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals within the last 12 months under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including children who attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, are eligible for ACP benefits.

Families can check their eligibility, sign up, and find fully covered plans at GetInternet.gov (mobile-accessible and available in Spanish) or by calling 877-384-2575.

The following are additional resources provided by the government:

• GetInternet.gov—a one-stop shop to learn about ACP, check eligibility, enroll, and find fully covered internet plans.
• White House Fact Sheet on the ACP and its benefits.

Additionally, CEMC/Cumberland Connect has provided resources in English and Spanish.