Allen Lancaster, Sumner County School Board - District 3

06/11/2026

Help Us Reach 1,000 Backpacks! 🎒

First Baptist Gallatin is excited to launch our 2026 Backpack Drive, and we need your help!

From now until July 26, we’re collecting new backpacks and school supplies to bless students in our community as they prepare for the upcoming school year. Every backpack and every supply donated helps equip a student with the tools they need to learn, grow, and succeed.

📚 Our Goal: 1,000 Backpacks
✏️ School supplies are also needed and welcomed!
📅 Collection Ends: July 26, 2026

Suggested items include:
• Pencils
• Pens
• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Markers
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Glue Sticks
• Rulers
• Highlighters
• Loose Leaf Paper

Whether you donate one backpack, a pack of pencils, or multiple supplies, your generosity will make a difference in the life of a child.

Join us as we come together to serve our community and help students start the school year prepared and confident.

Drop off donations at First Baptist Church Gallatin.

📍290 E Wi******er St. Gallatin, TN 37066

Thank you for helping us equip the next generation for success!

06/09/2026

Skip the back-to-school shopping crowds and make school supply shopping easy this year!

Sumner County Schools families can order pre-packaged school supply kits through Educational Products, Inc. and have everything your student needs ready for the first day of school.

The sale ends July 5, so don't wait!

Link to purchase:
https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/category.aspx?&categoryLevel=1&category1=PP&category1Name=Pre%20Packs&category2=SUM128&category2Name=SUM128&rnd=33659

School Supply List:
https://www.sumnerschools.org/about-us/departments/instruction/school-supply-list

06/08/2026

Still have signs looking for a home!

District 3 - I need some sign locations!

If you live in any of these neighborhoods listed below, I would appreciate it greatly if you allow me to place a sign in your yard.

Go to this link to sign up for a sign - https://forms.gle/LjKdQrJ6V4ocH9ZG7

Riverchase
Carellton
Creekside
Savannah
Saundersville Station
Cages Bend
Wynbrooke
Wyncrest
Autumn Creek
Durham Farms
Somerset Downs
Long Hollow Pointe
Country Hills
Millstone
Newmans Trail
Hunt Club
Stone Creek
Stonecrest
Shute Lane
Longview/Jenkins
Long Hollow Pike
Lake Rise
Lake Grassland
Drakes Pointe
Fountain Brooke
Emerald Point
Grasslands
Stoneridge Farms
The Hollows
Forest Harbor
Bridgemill
Sugar Tree Lane
Big Station Camp Blvd
Countryside Drive
Brookhaven Drive

06/06/2026

When your dad has waited 40 years for a new live-action He-Man movie, it’s easy to persuade him to buy the collectible cup at the theater!

06/05/2026

District 3 - I need some sign locations!

If you live in any of these neighborhoods listed below, I would appreciate it greatly if you allow me to place a sign in your yard.

Go to this link to sign up for a sign - https://forms.gle/LjKdQrJ6V4ocH9ZG7

Riverchase
Carellton
Creekside
Savannah
Saundersville Station
Cages Bend
Wynbrooke
Wyncrest
Autumn Creek
Durham Farms
Somerset Downs
Long Hollow Pointe
Country Hills
Millstone
Newmans Trail
Hunt Club
Stone Creek
Stonecrest
Shute Lane
Longview/Jenkins
Long Hollow Pike
Lake Rise
Lake Grassland
Drakes Pointe
Fountain Brooke
Emerald Point
Grasslands
Stoneridge Farms
The Hollows
Forest Harbor
Bridgemill
Sugar Tree Lane
Big Station Camp Blvd
Countryside Drive
Brookhaven Drive

06/03/2026

As we move toward the August General Election, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who participated in the May Primary and share what comes next.

I will be the Republican nominee for Sumner County School Board District 3, and my opponent will be Chanitta Nealy, the Democratic nominee.

While campaigns naturally highlight differences in perspectives and priorities, I hope this election remains focused on ideas, qualifications, and the future of our schools. At the end of the day, we all want what is best for the students, teachers, staff, and families of Sumner County.

Over the past four years, I have worked to be accessible, transparent, and willing to listen to all sides of an issue before making decisions. I have tried to approach each vote with the same question: "What is in the best interest of students and taxpayers?"

Early voting begins July 17 and runs through August 1. Election Day will be Thursday, August 6.

I am asking for your support again this election cycle.

How can you help?

First, share your support for me with your friends, neighbors, and family members. That simple act helps more than you might imagine.

Second, if you live in District 3 and would be willing to allow a campaign sign in your yard, I would greatly appreciate it. You can request a sign here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFyBkkQ8uSp-jT_0_iS9jHNc_LoTig6skrGhqmoiAy8_K5yA/viewform

Finally, campaign contributions are always appreciated and help us communicate with voters throughout the district.

You may mail a check payable to:

Friends to Elect Allen Lancaster
117 Buchanan Circle
Hendersonville, TN 37075

Or contribute through Venmo:

For campaign finance disclosure purposes, please include your contact information with any donation of $100 or more. However, contributions of any amount are sincerely appreciated and make a difference.

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve District 3. I look forward to earning your vote and continuing to work on behalf of our students, families, teachers, and taxpayers.

05/27/2026

I have seen some questions about why the board voted last night to allocate “a minimum of $250,000 for inclusive playground equipment/modifications” as part of the budget.

Truthfully, that is not typically how a budget process works.

Normally, the board would approve a larger overall capital budget pool, and then throughout the year individual projects would come before the board separately for approval to bid and then approval of the final bids. Inclusive playground projects are not really different in that regard and technically would not require a separate designated allocation.

And to be very clear, I believe every single board member is committed to seeing these projects continue moving forward.

But I also recognize that I am not the parent of a special-needs child. I can absolutely understand why some of these families — many of whom have advocated for inclusive playgrounds for years — may still feel some skepticism or uncertainty until they actually see projects happening.

Because of that, I do think it was a worthwhile show of good faith for the board to specifically designate some level of funding commitment within the budget itself. In many ways, it is a “trust but verify” situation for these families, and I understand that perspective.

I’m also looking forward to discussing this further next month and working together as a board to establish goals for how many of these specific capital projects we can realistically tackle during the 2026-2027 school year.

Currently:
• Station Camp Elementary and Gene Brown have already had bids approved and work is scheduled to take place over the summer.
• George Whitten is next on the list and is currently moving forward through the design phase using current-year budgeted funds.

With last night’s commitment, we will now be able to add at least one more inclusive playground project to that list — and hopefully more.

I also hope we can plan this process out a little earlier next year. I would like for the board to receive an update from the Inclusive Playground Committee sometime around January to help identify which schools have the greatest need. That would give us a better framework going into next year’s budget discussions and allow us to be even more proactive in planning these projects.

Every student deserves opportunities to play, interact, and feel included alongside their peers. I appreciate the families who have continued advocating for these students and helping keep this conversation moving forward.

05/27/2026

Tonight, the Sumner County Board of Education unanimously approved the FY2026-2027 budget.

The board also approved one amendment by a 10-1 vote to allocate “a minimum of $250,000 of capital funds to inclusive playgrounds.”

I appreciate the board and staff’s decision to split this into a special called meeting the night after Memorial Day. With the size and importance of this year’s budget discussions, I believe it allowed for more focused conversation and gave board members additional time to review information, ask questions, and fully discuss the budget prior to the vote.

The approved budget will now move to the Sumner County Commission for consideration. The commission vote is currently scheduled for June 29.

05/22/2026

Budget Series Post 3, the Operations Budget:

When people see a school system budget with numbers in the hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s easy to immediately think, “How could a school system possibly spend that much money?”

The reality is that schools are people-driven organizations. Unlike many businesses that rely heavily on equipment, inventory, or products, public education runs almost entirely on the work of human beings serving students every single day.

Approximately 85% of our operating budget goes directly to employee salaries and benefits. That includes teachers, instructional assistants, bus drivers, custodians, counselors, school nurses, technology staff, maintenance employees, principals, and many others who keep our schools operating safely and effectively each day.

Looking specifically at the proposed 2026-2027 operating budget, salary costs are increasing around 2% next year, or approximately $5.2 million. While there are a few new district-wide positions included, the majority of that increase is tied to step increases for our existing employees on their pay scales. The proposed budget also keeps our starting teacher salary at $50,500.

Insurance costs are seeing a much steeper increase at approximately 8%, which unfortunately is very consistent with what large employers across the country are experiencing right now.

Supplies and materials are increasing by around $2 million compared to the prior year, largely due to the first replacement lease batch of iPads for middle and high school students.

Maintenance and operations expenses are also increasing by around 10% due to rising utility costs and the ongoing expense of maintaining 53 school buildings and campuses across our district.

What’s important to understand is that the overwhelming majority of a school system budget is not made up of shiny, new objects. It is the people who make our schools successful every single day. When you break the budget down, you quickly realize that the majority is going toward the people who teach our children, transport them, feed them, support them, and maintain our schools.