Dickson County Schools Postpone Planned “Improvements” Presentation, Promise Full Update Next Month

Charlotte, TN — The Dickson County Commission expected to hear a presentation from Dickson County Schools on proposed “improvements” at their January 20th, 2026 meeting, but county leaders said the school system asked to delay the report in order to fine tune the information before bringing it forward publicly.

Near the end of the regular session, County Mayor Bob Rial told commissioners that school officials were prepared to make a presentation that night, but after conversations with Director of Schools Dr. Christie Southerland and School Board Chair Sonya Brogden, the district decided it needed more time to finalize its plan.

According to the mayor, Southerland and Brogden felt they were not ready to present the information in its current form and preferred to return with a more complete update rather than deliver something partial.

“They felt like they need to do some more fine tuning on this,” the mayor told the commission, adding that the school officials say they will be ready to present in roughly one month.

Rial said he supported the delay, telling commissioners he would rather receive “good and complete information than partial information,” and confirmed the schools plan to come back at the next regular session following President’s Day.

The mayor also framed the upcoming presentation as part of a long term effort by the county for a comprehensive schools improvement plan, suggesting the district’s plan may be finally coming together after years of requests for a clearer direction.

“I think that long-term plan that we’ve been asking for, for a long time, it seems like it’s falling in place,” he said.

For now, the message from school and county leadership is simple: the presentation is delayed, not canceled—and the district says it intends to return with a finished, detailed plan in February.

Next regular session: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Buford Booty Reed Jr. County Commission Chamber at the Dickson County Administration Building in Charlotte.