White County School Board Approves Million Dollar Reward
The White County School Board approved the final distribution of a $1 million high-performance reward during its meeting Thursday to recognize the district’s academic achievements. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said the funding stems from a state-level bonus program that rewards school systems where at least 50 percent of individual schools earn an “A” on […]
Strong Turnout For Livingston Academy Summer ACT Prep
Livingston Academy students returned to the classroom for an ACT Summer Slam program designed to improve their standardized testing scores. Livingston Academy Teacher Jacob Tibbs said the two-day event allowed students to choose a three-hour intensive review. Tibbs said the school utilized social media and a countywide phone tree to invite parents and students to […]
Stone Memorial Band Seeks $20,000 For Uniform Upgrades
Stone Memorial High School Band Director Elana Douglas is leading a fundraising effort to raise $20,000 for new uniforms. Douglas said the current athletic-style shirts used by the band typically have a lifespan of five to eight years and are now in poor condition. Douglas said the total cost for a full set of new […]
Findlay Elementary Earns Prestigious National Blue Ribbon
Findlay Elementary School named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for exceptional academic growth and achievement. White County Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said just six schools in Tennessee received the recognition during the last award cycle. Dronebarger said the honor is based on performance metrics that show the school […]
Experienced Bates Takes Helm Of Spencer Elementary
Gary Bates taking over as the new principal of Spencer Elementary School after serving 35 years in the education field. Bates most recently worked as an instructional coach for Bledsoe County Schools where he supported middle and high school educators for four years. He previously spent 12 years as a principal serving students from Pre-K […]
School Officials Addressing Absences; Upper Grade Worst
Pickett County school officials implementing new strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism as nearly a quarter of the student population missed significant time last year. Director of Schools Melissa Robbins said absences become chronic when a student misses more than 18 days. . Robbins said the district identified the issue through state data and internal attendance […]
Warren Schools Director Earns Positive Evaluation, Raise
The Warren County Board of Education approved a contract renewal and a 3.87 percent pay raise for Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows. The raise follows a positive annual evaluation by the board. Board Chair Chris Cope said the director received high scores that speak for themselves. “I’ll just state as we do our yearly […]
New Project To Help Admin Analyze Putnam Enrollment
Putnam County Schools entering into a no-cost proof of concept agreement to analyze data and develop long-term solutions for student recruitment and retention. Future Ready Coordinator Adam West said the initiative allows the district to examine analytics and correlational data to understand why students might be leaving the system. West said the opportunity arose after […]
Putnam School Principals Praise District’s Phone Ban
Putnam County school principals report significant improvements in student engagement and campus culture after one school year of a district-wide ban on cellular devices. Upperman High School Principal Justin Campbell said the policy has allowed students to communicate more effectively. Campbell said it provided providing teachers with more time for direct instruction without digital distractions. […]
Putnam County Schools Navigate Third Grade Promotion Pathways
Putnam County School System officials are currently working with families to navigate state-mandated promotion pathways for third-graders following the return of recent TCAP results. Data and Testing Supervisor Jason Stickler said the district is focused on identifying the best options for students who did not meet the expected cut scores on their original or retake […]
