Two Metro Nashville students were arrested on Wednesday as a result of separate incidents at two Metro Nashville schools involving firearms. Both schools, a middle school and high school, received D grades by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).
A 14-year-old student was arrested at Hunters Lane High School after another student reportedly told school administrators he suspected a firearm in the other student’s backpack. School administrators searched the backpack and found a semi-automatic pistol, prompting the student’s arrest and transport to a juvenile detention facility.
Around the same time, the incident at Hunters Lane High School surfaced, a separate incident was reportedly unfolding at Haynes Middle School, which locked down its campus after it was reported that a student brandished a firearm during a fight.
Security camera footage reportedly captured the student brandishing the weapon, and WSMV 4 said Metro Nashville Public Schools confirmed the student was in custody and the lockdown canceled by mid-morning. Though it was brandished, school officials said there is no evidence the firearm was used.
The TDOE’s letter grades for schools, which were published for the first time in December 2023 after a years-long delay since their publication was mandated in 2016, suggest students at both schools are struggling academically.
Hanyes Middle School received a D grade and received a one, the lowest possible score, for the academic achievement of its students. It received better scores for student growth and growth of the highest-need students but had a cumulative score of 2.2, scoring just lower than the 2.4 score necessary to receive a C.
A worse grade was received by Hunters Lane High School, which came close to receiving an F rating by the TDOE.
The school received a one for academic achievement, a one for college and career readiness, a two for growth, and a five for growth among highest-need students. The high school’s cumulative score was 1.7, just beating the threshold of 1.5 necessary to avoid an F grade from the TDOE.
Commissioner of Education Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds promised in December 2023 that the letter grades would “provide Tennessee families with a clear rating system” to understand how a school performs over time.
Schools with a D or F grade could face corrective action from TDOE to increase academic achievement. About 74 percent of schools throughout Tennessee received passing grades.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
