West Carroll School Board Honors Students for ACT Achievements

ATWOOD (May 7) — The West Carroll School Board met on Thursday, May 7. All board members were present. The meeting included a special group of students honored for their recent ACT achievements.

A group of West Carroll High School students attended Thursday night’s board meeting to be recognized for their accomplishments. Students who scored 21+, 25+, 30+, or improved their score by either 2, 3, or 4 points were recognized by the board for their success on the ACT.

Director Preston Caldwell offered remarks. “This is a big accomplishment. We really focused on improving ACT scores over the last year, and the students and teachers have worked tirelessly at this task. Congratulations to you all,” Caldwell said.

The tenure of six educators was brought before the board for approval. Caldwell provided insight into whether these teachers qualified. “I have reviewed the requirements that need to be met for tenure, such as test scores higher than four or five for at least two years and time spent teaching. Each of these individuals meets the requirements, so I would like to recommend these teachers for tenure,” Caldwell said. The board approved the tenure of Benjamin Bane, Olivia Bryant, Tammy Davis, Sonya Eaton, Beth Hysmith and Clinton Kee.

Discussion of a remodel project at the elementary school had been previously discussed and put out for bid. This project involves replacing windows, doors and other fixtures. It is estimated that around 145 openings will be replaced. The board was asked to approve Lashlee-Rich as the contractor for this project and a projected start date of June 2026. The board approved the project.

Director Caldwell reviewed his board-conducted performance evaluation. His overall score was 3.6 out of 5, which was an improvement from last year. Caldwell compared his self-evaluation with the board’s scores. Board member Betty Wallace pointed out something that stood out to her when comparing Caldwell’s self-evaluation with the board’s evaluation. “Director Caldwell scored himself lower than the board did. I think that speaks to his self-awareness on areas he needs to improve,” Wallace said. Caldwell thanked the board for participating in the evaluation. “I appreciate you all taking the time to do this. I know that I always have areas to improve,” Caldwell said.

Board member Paul Mueller gave a presentation on replacing the lights at the football, baseball and softball fields. Mueller conducted extensive research and provided the board with a packet outlining the cost, how it would save the school system money over time, and other reasons for replacing the lights. All three fields currently have halogen lights, whereas many schools have switched to LED lighting to save energy and reduce costs. Mueller calculated how much the school system would save by replacing the lighting system on all three fields with LED fixtures. “The lights I’ve looked at are supposed to last 100 years. If my calculations are correct, it will save the school system around $711,000 over the next 50 years,” Mueller said. The estimated cost of the project is $250,000. With a project of this magnitude, it would need to be researched further and put out for bid. The board decided to continue researching the proposal and discuss it at a later date.

Jr./Sr. High Principal Dr. Adam Douglas asked for approval of an e-sports program for his school. This program would allow students to compete with other schools in online gaming. Douglas explained how this would benefit students. “There would be no cost to the students’ families, and the kids are really excited about this. We already have all of the equipment to get started. My goal for this is to give kids who wouldn’t otherwise be involved in school activities an opportunity to participate,” Douglas said. He also mentioned that esports is a growing activity and colleges are starting to offer scholarships for it. The board voted to approve the program.

The Future Business Leaders of America Club was recognized for its accomplishments at a recent competition. Nine students qualified to compete at the national competition this summer. Erin Lewis, the club’s teacher in charge, discussed the growing interest in membership. “We currently have 33 students involved, and that is the largest number I’ve seen since being at West Carroll. We are even offering it to seventh- and eighth-graders now, and as far as I know, we are one of the very few schools in Tennessee to have middle school members,” Lewis said. Lewis also requested the board’s approval for a field trip to San Antonio from June 28 through July 3 for qualifying students to compete at nationals. The board approved the request.

A second field trip was brought forward for approval. This field trip is for the Future Farmers of America to travel to Doyle, Tennessee, where students will participate in a five-day leadership training camp. Noah Rogers, club sponsor, provided details of the trip. “If I had to pick one thing to do all year, it would be this. The kids get to learn a lot and connect with other students from across the state,” Rogers said. The board approved the trip.

Director Caldwell brought the 2026-27 teacher salary schedule before the board for review. “By law in the state of Tennessee, someone wanting to teach with a bachelor’s degree and no teaching experience must make a minimum of $50,000. My plan is to have a 5% increase in salary for the rest of the salary schedule. I brought this forward just for the board to review. There is no need for a vote right now,” Caldwell said.