March 25, 2026
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Dr. Jessica Supakhan, founding principal of Rutherford County Virtual School, has been named the next principal of Holloway High School, Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan announced Wednesday.
Supakhan will continue her duties as principal of the Virtual School, which is also located on Holloway’s campus.
“Dr. Supakhan has done an exceptional job leading one of the most successful virtual schools in the state. Virtual education is a unique landscape, and her leadership ensures RCVS continues to thrive and evolve,” Sullivan said. “In addition, Dr. Supakhan has strong ties to Holloway. With both schools sharing one campus, she is uniquely positioned to lead both. She is deeply committed to each school and will continue building a strong foundation for our virtual school while highlighting the opportunities Holloway provides.”
She succeeds Sumatra Drayton, who will retire at the end of the current school year.
Prior to RCVS opening in 2020, Supakhan taught business and marketing at Holloway for 11 years. She also taught at Central Middle School.
She is a graduate of Holloway — a member of the class of 2000. Supakhan said being able to lead her alma mater is “incredibly special.”
“(Holloway) has truly helped shape who I am. Being given the opportunity to return and serve as principal is both humbling and exciting,” she said. “It is also a unique privilege to lead two choice schools on one campus, where we are able to meet students in different ways while still building one strong, connected community.
“I am thankful to Dr. Sullivan for trusting me with this responsibility, and I truly believe God has blessed me with the opportunity to lead and serve both of these schools,” Supakhan said.
As a high school student, Holloway was the community Supakhan needed.
While in elementary school, she moved to Tennessee from Michigan with her mother and older sister after her parents divorced. The transition was a difficult and busy one, as Supakhan’s mother began working and attending classes at Middle Tennessee State University.
By the time high school came, attending a large comprehensive high school turned out not to be the best fit for Supakhan and her sister – also a Rutherford County Schools educator. While searching for a solution, they learned about Holloway. After meeting with then-principal Ivan Duggin, they decided it was home.
“What I remember most about being at Holloway as a student is how deeply connected everyone was. It was a family and every student got personal attention. The teachers knew us all by name and learned all they could about us,” Supakhan said.
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Supakhan recognizes RCVS and Holloway each fill important and different needs for Rutherford County Schools community.
Rutherford County Virtual School serves approximately 400 students in grades 3-12, with approximately 250 high school students and 130 middle school students. Plans for RCVS were in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as the district saw a need to provide flexible options for students to thrive in a non-traditional school setting.
Holloway High has a rich history and legacy. The school was dedicated in December of 1929 in the heart of Murfreesboro’s Black community. Notable graduates include James Scott and Walter Swafford, who applied to attend MTSU following the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education 1954 ruling that prompted the Supreme Court to ban segregation. In 1962, Holloway grad Olivia Murray Woods was admitted to the university and became the university’s first Black graduate three years later.
“Holloway is special to a lot of people in this community and being able to lead it is kind of surreal,” said Supakhan, who also served as the school’s dean of students before leading RCVS.
“Having either learned from or worked alongside each of the last three Holloway principals, I carry a deep respect for the legacy they have built. It is important to me to continue that work in a way that would make them proud, while also honoring the traditions and sense of purpose that make Holloway so special,” she added.
While teaching at Holloway, Supakhan coordinated day-long field trips for students, introducing them to places around the country they’d never visited or even knew existed, including Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Similarly, RCVS offers Connection Fridays, allowing families to go on school-wide field trips. Activities have included ice skating and visiting farms. Middle school students have a spring dance and the high school prom is open to grades 9-12.
“In each case, it’s all about giving them opportunities to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Many virtual schools don’t give students in-person opportunities,” she said. “It all goes back to being a family, making sure everyone belongs and feels valued.”
Applications to attend Holloway High and the Rutherford County Virtual School are accepted year-round. Learn more at www.rcschools.net/choice.