Cheatham County Schools, Tennessee, elections
| Cheatham County Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 6 |
| Students: 5,833 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 14 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Cheatham County Schools is a school district in Tennessee (Cheatham County). During the 2023 school year, 5,833 students attended one of the district's 14 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Election rules
Election dates and frequency
Tennessee code establishes default regular school board general election dates in August and November of even-numbered years, but also allows for school board general elections to be held on a different date.
In Tennessee, school board primary elections can be held to select party nominees for the school board general election. State law does not require there to be a school board primary election, and parties can nominate candidates through other methods. The date of a school board primary election, if held, depends on the date of the school board general election. If a school district holds a school board general election on a date other than the default August or November dates in even years and if a primary election is held, it must be on the first Tuesday of the third month before the general election. If that day is a holiday, it must be on the second Tuesday of the third month before the general election.
Tennessee law sets the first Thursday in August as one of the default dates on which school board general elections can be held.
School districts in Tennessee that hold school board general elections on the first Thursday in August, if they hold school board primary elections, must hold the primary elections on the first Tuesday in May in nonpresidential election years and on the first Tuesday in March in presidential election years.
School districts in Tennessee that hold school board general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, if they hold school board primary elections, must hold the primary elections on the first Thursday in August.
Tennessee law sets the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as on of the default dates on which school board general elections can be held.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203
In Tennessee, the school board candidate filing deadline depends on what election date is used and whether or not a primary election is held. For elections held at other times than the August and November dates, candidate filing deadlines are 12 pm on the third Thursday in the third calendar month before the election. If a primary election is held, the filing deadline for the primary election applies to all candidates.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts holding school board general elections in August of even years. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- General election date: August 7, 2025
- Filing deadline date: February 19, 2026
- Primary election date: March 5, 2026
- Filing deadline date: April 2, 2026
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts holding school board general elections in November of even years. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Primary election date: August 7, 2025
- Filing deadline date: August 21, 2025
- Filing deadline date: April 2, 2026
- General election date: November 3, 2026
Election system
School board members in Tennessee are elected either through a system of a nonpartisan general election without a primary or through a system of partisan party primaries and a partisan general election. Political parties can nominate candidates through party primaries or through other methods according to party rules.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Tennessee can be partisan — which means candidates can be nominated by political parties and are displayed on the ballot with party labels — or nonpartisan — which means candidates are displayed on the ballot without party labels. Tennessee Code states, "If at least one (1) county primary board of a political party elects to conduct school board elections on a partisan basis, then a person seeking a position on any board in that county may campaign as the nominee or representative of a political party, and political parties may nominate candidates for membership on the board." Legislation was enacted in 2021 to allow partisan elections. Before 2021, Tennessee school board elections were all nonpartisan without party labels.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203
Winning an election
In Tennessee, if a political party holds a school board primary election to nominate a candidate for the general election, the candidate that receives the most votes in the primary election advances to the general election as that party's nominee.
In Tennessee, the school board candidate that receives the most votes in the general election is elected to office.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201 and Section 2-13-203 and Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201
Term length and staggering
Tennessee Code sets four-year school board terms for all school districts except for some special school districts with a different term established by special or private act. As of 2022, there were four special school districts with six-year terms.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201
As close to half of school board members as possible are up for regular election every two years. Special acts can establish different election schedules.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School board members in Tennessee are elected at large by all voters in the district, by sub-district, or through a combination of the two. State law provides that county school board members are elected by sub-district, but special or private acts and grandfathered systems establish at-large elections for some county school board members. Special school district board members are elected according to special or private acts. Municipal school district board members are elected with the same representation method as the municipality's governing body. State law says that municipal school districts with board members elected by sub-district as of June 6, 1995, must continue to use that method of representation.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 49-2-201
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
In Tennessee, the school board candidate filing deadline depends on what election date is used and whether or not a primary election is held. For elections held at other times than the August and November dates, candidate filing deadlines are 12 pm on the third Thursday in the third calendar month before the election. If a primary election is held, the filing deadline for the primary election applies to all candidates.
For districts holding school board general elections in August with primary elections in March (presidential election years) or May (nonpresidential election years), the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the second Thursday in December in presidential election years and 12 pm on the third Thursday in February for nonpresidential election years.
For districts holding school board general elections in August and for which no primary "is called for any office to be filled in the regular August general election," the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the first Thursday in April.
For districts holding school board general elections in November and for which no primary election is called, the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the third Thursday in August.
For districts holding school board general elections in November with primary elections in August, the candidate filing deadline is 12 pm on the first Thursday in April.
See law: Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101 and Tennessee Code Section 2-5-101
About the district
School board
Cheatham County Schools consists of six members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|
| Amber Locke | 2028 | |
| Dale McCarver | 2028 | |
| David Risner | 2028 | |
| Robert Epps | 2026 | |
| Jimmy Harden | 2026 | |
| John Patrick | 2026 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $7,715,000 | $1,358 | 13% |
| Local: | $16,303,000 | $2,869 | 27% |
| State: | $35,475,000 | $6,242 | 60% |
| Total: | $59,493,000 | $10,469 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $59,258,000 | $10,427 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $52,093,000 | $9,166 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $31,889,000 | $5,611 | 54% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $5,247,000 | $923 | 9% |
| Administration: | $5,295,000 | $931 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $9,662,000 | $1,700 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $5,781,000 | $1,017 | |
| Construction: | $1,553,000 | $273 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $1,328,000 | $233 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $47,000 | $8 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 24 | 40-59 | 10-14 | 15-19 | <50 | 25 | |
| 2018-2019 | 39 | 40-59 | 15-19 | 25-29 | 21-39 | 40 | |
| 2017-2018 | 35 | 40-49 | 20-24 | 30-34 | 21-39 | 36 | |
| 2016-2017 | 42 | 40-59 | 20-24 | 30-34 | 40-59 | 43 | |
| 2015-2016 | 60-69 | PS | 60-69 | ||||
| 2014-2015 | 56 | 60-79 | 30-34 | 50-54 | <50 | 57 | |
| 2013-2014 | 50 | 60-79 | 35-39 | 40-44 | <50 | 51 | |
| 2012-2013 | 48 | 60-79 | 25-29 | 45-49 | <50 | 48 | |
| 2011-2012 | 49 | >=50 | 35-39 | 40-44 | <50 | 49 | |
| 2010-2011 | 45 | >=50 | 30-34 | 25-29 | <50 | 46 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 28 | 40-59 | 15-19 | 20-24 | <50 | 30 | |
| 2018-2019 | 32 | 40-59 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 21-39 | 33 | |
| 2017-2018 | 29 | 21-39 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 21-39 | 30 | |
| 2016-2017 | 32 | 30-39 | 10-14 | 20-24 | 21-39 | 33 | |
| 2015-2016 | 42 | <50 | <=20 | PS | 43 | ||
| 2014-2015 | 48 | 60-79 | 25-29 | 40-44 | <50 | 48 | |
| 2013-2014 | 51 | 60-79 | 25-29 | 40-44 | <50 | 52 | |
| 2012-2013 | 52 | 40-59 | 25-29 | 40-44 | >=50 | 53 | |
| 2011-2012 | 53 | >=50 | 30-34 | 35-39 | <50 | 54 | |
| 2010-2011 | 54 | >=50 | 45-49 | 40-44 | <50 | 55 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 92 | PS | >=50 | >=80 | 93 | ||
| 2018-2019 | 92 | PS | >=50 | >=80 | PS | 92 | |
| 2017-2018 | 91 | >=50 | >=80 | PS | 90 | ||
| 2016-2017 | 90 | >=50 | >=50 | >=50 | PS | 90 | |
| 2015-2016 | 92 | PS | >=50 | >=50 | PS | 92 | |
| 2014-2015 | 90 | >=50 | >=50 | PS | 90 | ||
| 2013-2014 | 91 | PS | >=50 | >=50 | 91 | ||
| 2012-2013 | 86 | PS | >=50 | >=50 | PS | 86 | |
| 2011-2012 | 92 | PS | >=50 | >=80 | PS | 92 | |
| 2010-2011 | 84 | PS | 21-39 | >=50 | PS | 87 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 5,833 | 0.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 5,786 | 1.8 |
| 2020-2021 | 5,683 | -6.2 |
| 2019-2020 | 6,037 | -0.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 6,054 | -3.7 |
| 2017-2018 | 6,277 | -1.8 |
| 2016-2017 | 6,392 | 0.1 |
| 2015-2016 | 6,385 | -1.0 |
| 2014-2015 | 6,447 | -2.7 |
| 2013-2014 | 6,620 | -0.8 |
| 2012-2013 | 6,675 | -2.0 |
| 2011-2012 | 6,810 | -0.1 |
| 2010-2011 | 6,815 | -2.1 |
| 2009-2010 | 6,959 | 1.3 |
| 2008-2009 | 6,869 | -0.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 6,921 | -2.7 |
| 2006-2007 | 7,105 | -2.5 |
| 2005-2006 | 7,284 | 7.6 |
| 2004-2005 | 6,731 | -3.0 |
| 2003-2004 | 6,931 | 0.8 |
| 2002-2003 | 6,875 | 0.1 |
| 2001-2002 | 6,867 | 0.1 |
| 2000-2001 | 6,861 | 1.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 6,791 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Cheatham County Schools (%) | Tennessee K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Black | 2.2 | 20.7 |
| Hispanic | 8.3 | 13.9 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.3 | 4.5 |
| White | 85.6 | 58.7 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Cheatham County Schools had 364.50 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 16.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 6.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 22.00 |
| Elementary: | 234.02 |
| Secondary: | 102.48 |
| Total: | 364.50 |
Cheatham County Schools employed 0.00 district administrators and 27.50 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 0.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 23.00 |
| School Administrators: | 27.50 |
| School Administrative Support: | 32.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 142.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 10.54 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 11.50 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 12.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 2.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 24.50 |
| Other Support Services: | 135.00 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Tennessee
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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