Dr. Epperson receives high evaluation score
Dr. Janice Epperson
by Shane Wofford
The Humboldt School Board met Thursday, October 17 in the library of Humboldt Jr./Sr. High School. Items on the agenda included the superintendent evaluation report, the superintendent report and a report on recent faculty training with the Humboldt Police Department.
The superintendent evaluation report was presented to the board, rating Director of Schools Dr. Janice Epperson’s performance in her position on a scale from 1 to 5. A survey of the school system administrative staff rated Epperson at 4.38, while the board rated her at 4.31. These two scores were averaged out for an overall score of 4.35, which was noted by the board as being very good.
The report graded Epperson on various categories, covering aspects such as her interactions with the board, management of funds, her relationship with the public and various others.
“Dr. Epperson, I’d just like to say I know it’s a tough job,” said board member Tommy Colvin, “I appreciate your efforts, your attitude, and your character. You’re doing a fine job.”
Epperson also presented her superintendent’s report, which included a threat assessment report. Dr. Epperson began the overall report by updating the board on the progress of the schools’ participation in Tutor U, a tutoring program provided by the United Way focusing on students struggling academically. The program is currently serving 86 students from grades K-3 in Humboldt schools. Epperson noted that attendance has become an issue in the younger grades in the past year or so, which could be one reason these children are struggling.
Dr. Epperson then updated the board on Humboldt Jr./Sr. High School’s dual enrollment program in partnership with Jackson State Community College. Ideally, the six juniors participating in the program will graduate not only with a high school diploma, but also with a graduate’s degree from JSCC. Students attend the dual enrollment classes from 8-10:30 a.m. in Trenton, then return to Humboldt for the rest of the school day.
Next was an overview of the federal accountability appeals process. This includes efforts to improve upon best practices within the schools based on state testing data released by the Tennessee Department of Education. It ensures that the state data accurately reflects records from each individual school.
Dr. Epperson recognized 7th grader Kaniyah Davis, who is a semi-finalist for the 2025 Coca-Cola Scholar Foundation Scholarship, worth a total of $20,000.
For the threat assessment report, Epperson detailed a training session where the entire faculty and staff met at the Humboldt Medical Center on Monday, October 14. They were instructed by members of the Humboldt Police Department on updated practices regarding protecting against and reacting to threats in the school building. Epperson said response to the session was very positive.
Also discussed was the allocation of funds provided by the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) grant, which was provided by the federal government following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Epperson, costs covered by the ESSER fund have allowed the district to re-allocate money that would normally cover those costs into savings. Some of those costs the covered by the ESSER fund included bonuses for staff and expenses for building maintenance.
