Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee, elections
| Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 9 |
| Students: 80,468 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 162 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools is a school district in Tennessee (Davidson County). During the 2024 school year, 80,468 students attended one of the district's 162 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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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
Robert Taylor defeated Demytris Savage-Short in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Taylor (D) | 85.5 | 6,865 |
Demytris Savage-Short (R)  | 14.4 | 1,154 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 14 | ||
| Total votes: 8,033 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
Zach Young won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Zach Young (D) | 98.6 | 6,946 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.4 | 102 | ||
| Total votes: 7,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
TK Fayne won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | TK Fayne (D) | 98.4 | 3,128 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.6 | 50 | ||
| Total votes: 3,178 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
Incumbent Freda Player won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Freda Player (D) | 98.1 | 2,379 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.9 | 46 | ||
| Total votes: 2,425 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
Incumbent Abigail Tylor won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Abigail Tylor (D) | 97.3 | 6,641 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.7 | 184 | ||
| Total votes: 6,825 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
Incumbent Rachael Elrod defeated Todd Pembroke and Edward Arnold in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2 on August 4, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rachael Elrod (D) | 57.8 | 4,400 | |
 | Todd Pembroke (R) | 38.6 | 2,936 | |
 | Edward Arnold (Independent) | 3.6 | 271 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 7,615 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
Berthena Nabaa-McKinney defeated Kelli Phillips in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4 on August 4, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Berthena Nabaa-McKinney (D) | 61.9 | 4,877 | |
 | Kelli Phillips (R) | 38.1 | 3,001 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 7 | ||
| Total votes: 7,885 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
Cheryl Mayes defeated incumbent Fran Bush in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6 on August 4, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Cheryl Mayes (D) | 70.3 | 3,368 |
| Fran Bush (Independent) | 29.6 | 1,418 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 4,794 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
Erin O'Hara Block defeated Amy Pate in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8 on August 4, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Erin O'Hara Block (D) | 68.4 | 7,576 |
 | Amy Pate (Independent) | 31.4 | 3,477 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 16 | ||
| Total votes: 11,069 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
Incumbent Sharon Dixon Gentry defeated Robert Taylor and Barry Barlow in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1 on August 6, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sharon Dixon Gentry (Nonpartisan) | 64.3 | 8,783 |
| Robert Taylor (Nonpartisan) | 28.3 | 3,864 | |
| Barry Barlow (Nonpartisan) | 7.0 | 958 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 45 | ||
| Total votes: 13,650 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
Emily Masters defeated Brian Hubert in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3 on August 6, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Emily Masters (Nonpartisan) | 68.5 | 7,378 |
| Brian Hubert (Nonpartisan) | 31.0 | 3,338 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 51 | ||
| Total votes: 10,767 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
Special general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
John Little defeated incumbent Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, Steve Chauncy, and Pam Swoner in the special general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Little (Nonpartisan) | 31.5 | 9,723 | |
| Berthena Nabaa-McKinney (Nonpartisan) | 27.5 | 8,474 | ||
| Steve Chauncy (Nonpartisan) | 25.1 | 7,744 | ||
 | Pam Swoner (Nonpartisan) | 14.9 | 4,592 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0 | 316 | ||
| Total votes: 30,849 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
Incumbent Christiane Buggs won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5 on August 6, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Christiane Buggs (Nonpartisan) | 98.8 | 11,627 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.2 | 136 | ||
| Total votes: 11,763 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
Incumbent Freda Player won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7 on August 6, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Freda Player (Nonpartisan) | 98.7 | 8,088 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 110 | ||
| Total votes: 8,198 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
Abigail Tylor defeated Russelle Bradbury in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9 on August 6, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Abigail Tylor (Nonpartisan) | 75.9 | 11,384 | |
 | Russelle Bradbury (Nonpartisan) | 23.6 | 3,547 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 74 | ||
| Total votes: 15,005 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
Rachael Elrod defeated Thomas Weber, Jesse Gentry, Edward Arnold, and Radir Annoor in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rachael Elrod (Nonpartisan) | 42.6 | 4,064 | |
| Thomas Weber (Nonpartisan) | 20.8 | 1,985 | ||
| Jesse Gentry (Nonpartisan) | 15.9 | 1,520 | ||
| Edward Arnold (Nonpartisan) | 12.2 | 1,162 | |
| Radir Annoor (Nonpartisan) | 7.8 | 748 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 51 | ||
| Total votes: 9,530 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
Incumbent Anna Shepherd won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Anna Shepherd (Nonpartisan) | 98.9 | 9,287 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 99 | ||
| Total votes: 9,386 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
Fran Bush defeated incumbent Tyese R. Hunter, Aaron McGee, and Earl Lattimore in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Fran Bush (Nonpartisan) | 36.1 | 2,531 | |
 | Tyese R. Hunter (Nonpartisan) | 29.6 | 2,078 | |
| Aaron McGee (Nonpartisan) | 25.2 | 1,764 | ||
| Earl Lattimore (Nonpartisan) | 8.8 | 619 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 17 | ||
| Total votes: 7,009 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
Gini Pupo-Walker defeated Adam Barese in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Gini Pupo-Walker (Nonpartisan) | 62.6 | 8,380 | |
| Adam Barese (Nonpartisan) | 36.8 | 4,925 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 71 | ||
| Total votes: 13,376 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chris Moth (Nonpartisan)
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1
Incumbent Sharon Dixon Gentry won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 1 on August 4, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Sharon Dixon Gentry (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3
Incumbent Jill Speering won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 3 on August 4, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Jill Speering (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5
Incumbent Christiane Buggs won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5 on August 4, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Christiane Buggs (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7
Incumbent Will Pinkston won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 7 on August 4, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Will Pinkston (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9
Incumbent Amy Frogge won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 9 on August 4, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Amy Frogge (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2
Incumbent Jo Ann Brannon won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 2 on August 7, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Jo Ann Brannon (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4
Incumbent Anna Shepherd won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 4 on August 7, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Anna Shepherd (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6
Incumbent Tyese R. Hunter won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 6 on August 7, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Tyese R. Hunter (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
General election
General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8
Incumbent Mary Pierce won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 8 on August 7, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary Pierce (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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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
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools consists of nine members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| TK Fayne | District 5 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Robert Taylor | District 1 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Zach Young | District 3 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Abigail Tylor | District 9 | 2020 | 2028 |
| Freda Player | District 7 | 2019 | 2028 |
| Cheryl Mayes | District 6 | 2022 | 2026 |
| Berthena Nabaa-McKinney | District 4 | 2022 | 2026 |
| Erin O'Hara Block | District 8 | 2022 | 2026 |
| Rachael Elrod | District 2 | 2018 | 2026 |
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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: | $258,854,000 | $3,220 | 15% |
| Local: | $1,019,434,000 | $12,683 | 59% |
| State: | $458,726,000 | $5,707 | 26% |
| Total: | $1,737,014,000 | $21,610 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $1,384,084,000 | $17,219 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $1,239,570,000 | $15,421 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $680,043,000 | $8,460 | 49% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $200,993,000 | $2,500 | 15% |
| Administration: | $169,210,000 | $2,105 | 12% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $189,324,000 | $2,355 | 14% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $103,478,000 | $1,287 | |
| Construction: | $81,011,000 | $1,007 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $2,933,000 | $36 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $36,825,000 | $458 |
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 | 12 | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15-19 | 27 | |
| 2018-2019 | 29 | 46 | 19 | 24 | 25-29 | 45 | |
| 2017-2018 | 24 | 41 | 15 | 20 | 20-24 | 39 | |
| 2016-2017 | 27 | 45 | 18 | 22 | 15-19 | 41 | |
| 2015-2016 | 19 | <50 | 19 | 15-19 | 20-24 | ||
| 2014-2015 | 48 | 65 | 39 | 46 | 40-49 | 60 | |
| 2013-2014 | 43 | 61 | 35 | 41 | 30-39 | 56 | |
| 2012-2013 | 43 | 63 | 34 | 40 | 40-44 | 57 | |
| 2011-2012 | 40 | 59 | 31 | 35 | 40-44 | 55 | |
| 2010-2011 | 33 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 48 |
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 | 19 | 34 | 12 | 12 | 30-34 | 37 | |
| 2018-2019 | 26 | 41 | 18 | 19 | 30-34 | 44 | |
| 2017-2018 | 26 | 40 | 18 | 19 | 30-34 | 44 | |
| 2016-2017 | 26 | 41 | 19 | 18 | 25-29 | 41 | |
| 2015-2016 | 27 | 40-44 | 19 | 22 | >=50 | 41 | |
| 2014-2015 | 41 | 55 | 33 | 34 | 65-69 | 57 | |
| 2013-2014 | 43 | 56 | 34 | 35 | 40-49 | 59 | |
| 2012-2013 | 41 | 55 | 32 | 33 | 45-49 | 56 | |
| 2011-2012 | 44 | 56 | 35 | 33 | 50-54 | 61 | |
| 2010-2011 | 41 | 55 | 31 | 30 | 58 |
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 | 82 | 90-94 | 84 | 73 | PS | 87 | |
| 2018-2019 | 82 | 90-94 | 83 | 76 | >=50 | 86 | |
| 2017-2018 | 80 | 90-94 | 82 | 73 | >=50 | 82 | |
| 2016-2017 | 80 | 85-89 | 82 | 74 | <50 | 81 | |
| 2015-2016 | 81 | 85-89 | 82 | 75 | >=50 | 82 | |
| 2014-2015 | 82 | 85-89 | 81 | 79 | >=50 | 82 | |
| 2013-2014 | 79 | 85-89 | 78 | 73 | >=50 | 81 | |
| 2012-2013 | 77 | 80-84 | 76 | 72 | >=50 | 79 | |
| 2011-2012 | 78 | 85-89 | 78 | 72 | >=50 | 81 | |
| 2010-2011 | 76 | 90-94 | 77 | 66 | >=50 | 77 |
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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 80,468 | -0.2 |
| 2022-2023 | 80,651 | 0.3 |
| 2021-2022 | 80,381 | -0.1 |
| 2020-2021 | 80,494 | -6.3 |
| 2019-2020 | 85,588 | 1.1 |
| 2018-2019 | 84,667 | -0.1 |
| 2017-2018 | 84,728 | -0.5 |
| 2016-2017 | 85,163 | -0.5 |
| 2015-2016 | 85,598 | 1.8 |
| 2014-2015 | 84,069 | 1.5 |
| 2013-2014 | 82,806 | 2.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 81,134 | 0.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 80,393 | 2.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 78,782 | 4.7 |
| 2009-2010 | 75,080 | 1.0 |
| 2008-2009 | 74,312 | 0.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 73,715 | 0.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 73,731 | 1.4 |
| 2005-2006 | 72,713 | -0.1 |
| 2004-2005 | 72,807 | 5.7 |
| 2003-2004 | 68,651 | 1.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 67,954 | 0.4 |
| 2001-2002 | 67,689 | 0.0 |
| 2000-2001 | 67,669 | -3.7 |
| 1999-2000 | 70,176 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (%) | Tennessee K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| Black | 35.6 | 20.5 |
| Hispanic | 33.2 | 14.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.5 | 4.7 |
| White | 24.1 | 57.7 |
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 2023-2024 school year, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools had 4,912.16 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 16.38.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 145.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 348.52 |
| Elementary: | 2,993.54 |
| Secondary: | 1,425.10 |
| Total: | 4,912.16 |
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools employed 13.02 district administrators and 460.50 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 13.02 |
| District Administrative Support: | 247.00 |
| School Administrators: | 460.50 |
| School Administrative Support: | 23.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 236.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 807.56 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 242.50 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 128.20 |
| Library/Media Support: | 1.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 191.40 |
| Other Support Services: | 84.00 |
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 October 6, 2025
- ↑ 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 October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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