The Putnam County School Board honored as Tennessee’s School Board of the Year.
The Tennessee School Board Association recognized the board for its excellent service, with a focus on long-range planning, involvement with local governments, the development and application of education policy as well as promoting quality education. Board Chair Lyn McHenry said the honor reflects the school system as a whole.
“Nothing is done on this board individually,” McHenry said. “It’s all about us working together as a collective board, and we respect each other’s opinion, every one of us, and it’s just a privilege to be a part of it. It wouldn’t be possible without the great people who are part of our school system.”
Director Of Schools Corby King said the honor reflects the strong working relationship the board has with each other and with other county leaders. He said County Mayor Randy Porter celebrated the honor.
“He said, ‘this is the best relationship between the board and the county commission that he can remember over lots of years,'” King said. “We’re able to come together, work, whether it be budget, priorities, the new bond that we had. A lot of that went into this board of the year. They can agree to disagree and continue to work together for the good of the students and the school system. No grudges are carried forward, and they all strive to respect each other in making difficult decisions.”
The board includes Kim Cravens, Dr. Dawn Fry, Kerry Ledbetter, David McCormick and Jill Ramsey. The group receive a plaque during the annual TSBA Conference. The Warren County School Board is the only other board in the Upper Cumberland to win the honor since 2000.