Metro schools miss out on federal funds

Money held over concerns about use By JAIME SARRIO • Staff Writer • September 3, 2008 Metro schools went without millions in federal grants last school year because of a misfire during the application process that eventually led to a shakeup of top-ranked administrators. The school district, which is now under partial state control for failing to meet performance benchmarks, was not awarded the money on time because of concerns over how the $2.7 million grant would be spent. At same the time, the district was trying to get permission to spend an additional $800,000 being withheld for similar concerns. As a result, some of the district's lowest performing schools went a full year without additional money for resources to meet state testing benchmarks. Some are still waiting for money in hopes they can use it this school year. Teachers at Maplewood High are waiting on additional training, students are waiting on books to prepare for the ACT college entrance exam and administrators are waiting on funds to promote parent involvement, said Principal Julie Williams. "It's quite a bit of money," she said. "We have a lot of schools in trouble and will continue to be if they keep snatching the money back and forth." Schools and districts are eligible for additional federal money, depending on their demographics and test scores. The money is allocated by the federal government and then distributed to local districts by the state. Trouble in Metro schools' federal grants office began during the 2006-07 school year. The district ended the year with an additional $800,000 because an after-school tutoring program, which was successful at the elementary level, flopped when expanded into middle and high schools. Students didn't take advantage of it, and the money wasn't spent. Instead of repossessing the money, the state chose to let Metro find another use for the funds. But state officials weren't satisfied with the district's choice, a new high-tech education program Metro wasn't even sure it had the computers to support. The state approved a portion of the grant, but it would be a full year before the remainder of the money was spent. During the same period, the district applied for another pot of money to use during the 2007-08 school year. That application, for $2.7 million, was denied because the district wanted to again use much of the money for after-school programs in middle and high school. A small part of the money was eventually approved to pay for school staff. State makes change When the state gained control of the district's finances and staffing in August 2007, the federal program's office was the first to receive a face lift. State leaders promoted Kecia Ray from within the district's federal programs department to assistant superintendent. "This was a symptom of a larger problem they had, and it wasn't just that office. It was the whole central district and how that office interacted with other offices," said Julie McCargar, head of federal programs for the Tennessee Department of Education. "We're much more comfortable with the decision making at the district (now)." This school year, Metro is eligible for $5.4 million in federal grants: $3.3 million in new federal money and $2.1 million left over from last year. This is on top of a $620.7 million operational budget and $62 million in miscellaneous grants the district is expecting to receive. "Considering the fact that some of these schools made adequate yearly progress without the total access to all the resources that were allocated at the district is pretty good," McCargar said. "What that also means is that with additional resources, the schools could make dramatic improvement, and we're hopeful it is going to happen." District officials said they created a grant coordinator position to help with the process and acknowledged that they're taking a different approach to doling out dollars. "We weren't always looking at the best way to serve schools and be proactive," said spokeswoman Olivia Brown. "There were needs to do things in a different way, not only to meet the needs of schools, but to make sure all the reports were done correctly," Brown said. Gina Perez, a parent at H.G. Hill Middle, which is a high-need school, said she was surprised to find out about the delay in funding, but she hopes the district will make good use of the funds when they finally arrived. "I hope if they pump money into the system, they pump it into something different," she said.

The Largest Water Cleanup in Nashville's History

Way to go Nashville, we’re kickin’ butt on trash. Percy Priest needs your help! You can make a huge difference on Saturday, September 13 by participating in the second Nashville Clean Water Project. We have trash bags, gloves and sunscreen for you... we have snacks, hand sanitizer, T-shirts and hats... ...we even have gobs of giveaways and live entertainment. It’s the largest water cleanup in Nashville's history, and, oh yes, it's absolutely free. When: Saturday, September 13; 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at a *new location: Four Corners Marina (for directions, click on our link called "The Skinny"). Please sign up for a three hour block of fun, new friends and help for Mother Earth. Departures to specific lake locations at 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9 a.m. Our first cleanup in May 2008 was huge -- the largest Nashville has ever seen! Together we gifted more than 1,800 collective work-hours to the environment and filled five (5) commercial rolloff dumpsters from Waste Management, Inc. with trash. Bottles, cans, plastics, coolers, tires, styrofoam, chairs & BBQ grills, full-sized traffic light, office copier, a residential air conditioner, even a mannequin arm. All told, we collected 100 cubic yards of trash – more than an average shopping mall produces in a month! Unfortunately, that’s just 40% of the estimated surface trash at Percy Priest Lake – even Music City's largest water cleanup wasn’t enough. So join us as we continue this very necessary public campaign against litter on Percy Priest Lake's 24 islands and 213 miles of shoreline. Can't attend September 13, but still want to help? Your donation in any amount will help defray the cost of supplies and other expenses. The Nashville Clean Water Project is a 100% volunteer effort and appreciates all support.

Glencliff clinic helps teens, area

By JAIME SARRIO (Tennessean) • September 1, 2008 It's not even lunch at Glencliff High School, but Katandra Majors and crew have already seen five patients. Most want to get a physical so they can play sports this school year. Others are sick and get some medicine before going back to class. One just likes to hang out on her lunch break and ask questions. All of them are Glencliff students and therefore eligible for free treatment at the school's new clinic, which opened this year. It's a program offered in five Metro schools by the Nashville nonprofit United Neighborhood Health Services. But the Glencliff program is a little different because it also serves members of the Woodbine community. After school lets out at 2 p.m., anyone can come in and receive basic medical care from the nurse practitioner and medical assistant. The clinic charges a sliding scale fee, but no one is turned away. People are asked to pay what they can, and the clinic accepts insurance, said Majors. "It's a diverse community," said Majors, a medical assistant at the clinic. "A lot of people don't have ways to get to the doctor, or they don't have insurance or they don't have money for a co-pay." United Neighborhood has been running clinics in Metro schools for 15 years, but most are inside the schools, so it isn't safe to let visitors in and out for care. It also makes it hard to stay open after school hours. Glencliff offers access Glencliff's clinic has a side door that allows for easy access. That was at the request of Principal Tony Majors, no relation to Katandra, who sees the clinic as much more than a way to keep students healthy. "Our vision for the school is to be the central focus of the community," he said. "We can provide education services, career development, training, job placements, and it can be done in an environment that is safe and supportive." The new clinic fits into a bigger plan for Glencliff High School, which along with several Metro schools is launching a health science career academy to better show students what jobs may await them. The school wants to offer emergency medical technician certification before graduation, and plans to open a full cardio and weight room in a few weeks to complement the new aquatic center at the school. "It's real-world application. No longer are we requiring students to learn with just a paper and pencil," Majors said. "We want them to work with, meet with and have discussions with professionals in the field because they have the opportunity to provide insights that teachers can't." Laura English has insurance and said she usually picks daughter Kelly, a senior at Glencliff, up from school when she's sick. But now she feels comfortable sending her to the clinic as an alternative. "There's a lot of lower income people in this community who don't have insurance," she said. "I think it is a good idea." Contact Jaime Sarrio at 726-5964 or jsarrio@tennessean.com.

Metro tackles truancy with help center

Tennessean Students brought into the new Metro Attendance Center have a choice — take a citation, head to court and risk paying more than $100 in fines and fees or accept social services offered by the center and don't miss school for six straight weeks. Most choose the latter. "If kids aren't in school, they are not where they're supposed to be," said Bob Ross, director of family services at the Davidson County Juvenile Court. "What were offering kids here is a deal." Metro's $500,000 attendance center opened Aug. 11, the first day of school, and is the mayor's attempt to trim truancy in city schools. The rules are simple: If you're a student caught loitering by police on a school day, you're the type of person the center is likely to see. Students are taken to the center, which is located at an old police station in East Nashville, and interviewed by school and Juvenile Court personnel. The student is given the choice to accept the citation or enroll in programs. The thinking is that many times, truancy is just a symptom of a bigger problem. In any case, by routing students through an attendance center, where they must interview with a case manager and school officials, the student will have access to more services and an added incentive to stay in school, said Atica Helms, program coordinator. "Our job is to stay positive and stay motivated," she said. "We are able to find out contributing factors to attendance problems and catch them on the front end." 15 kids taken to center If students agree to accept social services from the center, which can include anything from grief counseling to help dealing with substance abuse, they must also agree to not miss school and come back to the center after six to eight weeks. Fifteen students have been taken to the center and all have accepted the diversion plan, Helms said. The center was empty Friday afternoon. Attendance is a top priority for schools — the state requires districts to average 93 percent of students in class or show gains toward that goal under No Child Left Behind requirements. Since poor attendance is an earlier indicator a student will drop out, school officials and the mayor also tout the attendance center as a way to improve the city's 70 percent graduation rate. Ralph Thompson, Metro's assistant superintendent for student services, believes the center, along with other improvements in the school district, will help improve the quality of education in the district. Schools also are keeping better records of student absences, and the attendance office has been reorganized so that case workers are spending more time in schools. "I think this is an excellent opportunity for us to work together to improve truancy," he said. "They help us in doing our job because we have more eyes and ears looking into the situation." Contact Jaime Sarrio at 615-726-5964 or jsarrio@tennessean.com.

High speed chase ends in Davidson Co.

Two men face serious charges after leading Wilson County deputies and Metro police on a multi-county chase. Police said the deputies tried to pull the car over at about 1 a.m. The car took off and crossed into Davidson County. Wilson County deputies lost the car as speeds reached 120 miles-per-hour. Metro police spotted the car off Stewarts Ferry Pike in the Hermitage area. Police said the car eventually blew a tire off Jacksonian Drive. Officers said the suspects bailed out of the car but where caught a short time later. Police recovered a gun from the scene. The suspects' names have not been released.

Tennessee prepares to award recycling rebates

Middle Tennessee Several Middle Tennessee communities are eligible to receive money from the state for their recycling efforts. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is preparing to give $600,000 in recycling rebates to 11 counties, and four are in the Nashville region. Local and county governments in Davidson, Rutherford, Williamson and Sumner counties stand to get a piece of the pie. Nashville, for example, is eligible to get $80,000.

Lawsuit: Metro blocks English-only vote unfairly

Group says attorneys twist the law By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer • August 29, 2008 A group that hopes to make English the official language of Nashville filed suit against the city Thursday in an effort to put the issue up for a vote this fall. Nashville English First sponsor and Metro Councilman Eric Crafton acted two days after the Davidson County Election Commission refused to put the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, despite the pro-English group's collection of enough county voters' signatures to do so. City attorneys have said the Nov. 4 election will fall three days short of a two-year gap required between petition-driven referendums on proposals to change the Metro Charter. The last such referendum was held Nov. 7, 2006. But Jim Roberts, an attorney for Nashville English First and Crafton, said Metro attorneys read the law in a way that was rigged to keep voters from deciding the issue. "They don't want the voters of Davidson County to vote on this referendum," Roberts told reporters after filing the lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court. "The only way they could prevent that was to stop it before it started." Metro's deputy law director, Mike Safley, declined to comment on the complaint. The proposed charter amendment would require that all Metro meetings, communications and publications be conducted or published in English, with no exceptions for health or safety. Critics have acknowledged that they'll do what's necessary to keep the measure from becoming law, including challenging supporters' ability to put it up for a countywide vote. The Metro Charter says charter amendments cannot "be submitted by petition more often than once in each two years." Metro Law Director Sue Cain wrote in a legal opinion Monday that "it has not been two years since the last petition to amend the Charter was submitted to the people." The Nashville English First lawsuit says the two-year gap refers to the dates when petitions were submitted to the Metro Clerk's office. Organizers of the 2006 ballot initiative submitted their petition on Aug. 8 of that year. Nashville English First says it submitted its petition, with more than 12,500 signatures, on Aug. 15, though news accounts show the date was actually Aug. 14. "Having otherwise qualified their initiative petition, Plaintiffs have been injured both financially and substantively due solely to the Cain letter and the actions of the Commission in accepting and complying with the Cain letter," according to the lawsuit. The complaint asks that the court order the election commission to certify the signatures and hold the referendum on Nov. 4 or in "a special election three days after Nov. 4." The lawsuit also says Metro allowed two charter amendment referendums within a two-year period in the 1990s and is ignoring a clear precedent. Referendums were held Nov. 5, 1996, and Nov. 3, 1998. But every charter amendment proposal in 1996 was submitted by the Metro Council, not by voter petition, Elections Administrator Ray Barrett confirmed. The charter says the council can't put charter referendums on the ballot more than twice in a four-year term, but it makes no reference to the time between those two submissions.

MNPS offering free computer classes for parents

Parents of Metro Public Schools students can sign up for free adult computer-training classes provided by the MNPS Community Career Center. Basic beginner, as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint classes are being offered. The free classes start Sept. 8 and will be offered through November at the following locations:302 Foster Street in East Nashville3900 Clifton Ave. (near 40th Ave. N. and Charlotte Pike)601 Benton Ave. (near the fairgrounds)To register, call 298-6752. Class schedules can be viewed at www.mnps.org/Page41311.aspx.

Hickory Hollow Mall may add office mix

Owners have 'no intentions to close,' but will refocus on malls its size By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer • August 25, 2008 Hickory Hollow Mall is here to stay, a mall official says. At a recent meeting of the Hickory Hollow Business Alliance, CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. regional manager Mike Johnson bluntly dismissed any notion that the mall may be nearing its end. His statement was in response to rumors that the mall has become not just a victim but a near-casualty of crime and competition. We have no intentions to close Hickory Hollow Mall," Johnson said at the meeting. "Our intentions are to keep it as a very viable center." CBL & Associates Properties purchased Hickory Hollow Mall in 1998. A couple of years later, the mall underwent major renovations that included a whole new interior motif, as well as improvements to the exterior. But the mall has struggled in recent years to keep up with its peers, CoolSprings Galleria and Rivergate Mall, both of which are also owned by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Last year, the mall had an 84 percent occupancy rate according to CBL & Associates filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Occupancy rates at CoolSprings and Rivergate were 99 percent and 97 percent, respectively. Although the mall's parent company is determined not to give up on the traditional mall concept, the company is devising strategies it hopes will give the mall a more promising future. Mall to remain primarily retail Johnson said the mall would remain majority retail, and anchor tenants would continue to be a huge part of its focus when it comes to leasing. A new tenant the mall recently announced is Famous Labels, a value retailer which will be making Hickory Hollow its first location in Tennessee. But CBL & Associates Properties is refocusing its efforts on malls this size, Johnson said. Johnson said possible future partnerships include something like that of 100 Oaks Mall and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where medical offices are moving in with the retail mix. "We're looking at alternative uses," he said, adding they would be complimentary to the retail environment. "It's becoming unusual that malls this size can support 100 percent retail," he said. The company also plans to redevelop Hickory Hollow Courtyard, which is an adjacent piece of property associated with the mall. Johnson said the company is planning to add more retail, as well as restaurants there. The movie theater and TGI Fridays, which currently sit on the property, would remain. Marketing strategies target trade areas In determining the tenant mixes for its malls, CBL & Associates Properties looks for tenants that "offer products and services that fit that trade area," Johnson said. Also, Johnson said, although the company's three malls share advertising during peak retail seasons, Hickory Hollow targets its marketing toward its own trade area. "We have a pretty traditional marketing concept," he said. Johnson said Hickory Hollow is always looking for anchor tenants that don't have a presence in other markets. But, he said, having tenants that are duplicates of those at its sister malls helps more than it hurts. Johnson said there's no doubt that changes in the demographics and competition have forced the company to rethink its focus. "There's no question that the Cool Springs area has a higher per capita income," he said, adding that demographics do make a difference. Also, he said, an "influx of competition" from places such as Opry Mills and The Avenue and Stones River Mall in Murfreesboro have had an effect. "That has affected the tenant mix quite a bit, which is why we've refocused our efforts on finding some alternative uses." Malls everywhere are facing challenges The recent announcement that Dillard's would be leaving the mall this month has caused concerns to escalate about the mall's ability to survive. Linens 'n Things has also announced it would be leaving, following former tenants J.C. Penney and Hallmark. Bill Vaughn, president of The Shopping Center Group, said that many of the problems that department stores are facing, however, are national and not specific to Hickory Hollow Mall. Regarding the local situation, Vaughn described the mall as "a work in progress." "It's just reflecting the change in demographics of that trade area," he said. Britt Beemer, founder of America's Research Group, said the mall should be cautious about how it adapts changes in its customer base. The mall, he said, needs to be attracting new customers as quickly as it's losing old customers. Also, said Beemer, the mall is likely facing some of the challenges that malls everywhere are facing. "Many malls simply don't have enough traffic to make all of their numbers work," he said. This is both a reflection of the economy and changes in shopping trends, he added. And most malls lack individuality and features that would keep them fresh and current and, thus, attractive, he said. Contact Suzanne Normand Blackwood by telephone at 259-8268 or by e-mail at sblackwood@tennessean.com.

Home invasion injures Antioch resident

Tuesday • August 26, 2008 Metro police are investigating a home invasion and robbery that left the victim injured. About 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a home invasion that occurred on Charmaine Court, which is off of Una-Antioch Pike. Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson said that the victim arrived home and was walking to the home when he was approached by two men. One produced a handgun and they forced the victim inside the home, where they took money During the robbery, the victim attempted to take the gun away from the suspect, and the suspect hit the victim in the head with the gun, Hickerson said. The victim was injured but refused medical treatment. The two suspects fled on foot. They were described as men dressed in all black and wearing masks, possibly in their early 20s.There is no indication that the suspects knew the victim.Anyone who has information on this crime is asked to call police at 74-CRIME. The incident occurred in the South Precinct.— LEIGH RAY Leigh Ray can be reached at 615-726-5951 or lray@tennessean.com.

Notable Kids: How parents and teachers can nominate

The Tennessean is starting up another year of its Notable Kids feature on the Classroom page. This is an opportunity for parents and teachers to recognize K-12 students for their accomplishments. To nominate a Notable Kid, please send his or her name, school, age, grade, academic achievements and extracurricular activities plus a digital or hard-copy photograph to: education editor Heidi Hall, hhall@tennessean.com, or to Heidi Hall's attention at The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. Please include contact information so any questions may be answered.

Convenience store near airport robbed again

A man armed with a knife robbed a Mapco market on Donelson Pike, police said Monday morning. Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson said that at about 3:45 a.m. today, a man armed with a knife entered the store at 465 Donelson Pike and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk gave him money from the register, and the robber then fled on foot. It was the second robbery at this location in less than a week. Police reported a robbery last Thursday morning at the same Mapco market. The suspect in today's robbery is described as a white man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall, and wearing camouflage shorts and a black tank top and a white bandanna over his face. No one was injured in the incident, which occurred in the Hermitage Precinct. Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call police at 74-CRIME. — LEIGH RAY Leigh Ray can be reached at 615-726-5951 or lray@tennessean.com.

Today's Business Briefs

The following permits were among those issued Friday by the Metro Codes Administration: School addition. Value: $3.3 million. Shankle-Lind LLC took out a permit to build a 23,734-square-foot addition to Una Elementary School.

Antioch Shootout

The Citypaper August 25, 2008 Whatever’s in the water in Antioch made for an uncomfortable, yet entertaining, Metro Council meeting last week.Standing front and center in the controversial spotlight was Antioch Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite, whose lengthy monologues have produced many an eye roll from her colleagues this Council term. It all started with Council considering the charter amendment resolution, stating members who serve less than two years finishing out a term can still run for re-election two more times. Wilhoite proposed an amendment to the resolution, which said it would not take effect until 2011, after the next election.That would have hurt five current members who have finished out terms, including Wilhoite’s fellow Antioch Councilman Robert Duvall. Rex’s Council sources say Wilhoite’s motivation was to make sure Duvall couldn’t serve an extra term. Turns out it didn’t matter what her motivation was, because the proposal was soundly defeated by Council.But the bickering didn’t end there. Antioch Council members Sam Coleman and Duane Dominy both took swipes at Wilhoite before the meeting was over.

Council Woman Vivian Wilhoite Enjoys End of Summer Party at the Deerfield Apartments in Nashbor Village

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008