Tag Archives: White County Schools

The White County School School Board has approved giving all certified teachers and nurses a $430 bonus through state allocated funds. The funds come from the two percent teacher raise approved by Tennessee General Assembly in January. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said the money will be split evenly to about 311 different employees. “This is the raise that the ... Read More »

Masks are protecting students from more than just COVID with White County Schools seeing a decrease in other sicknesses. During Thursday’s White County School Board meeting, Cumberland Family Care Dr. Ty Webb gave a COVID update. He said in his practices, cases of strep throat overall have became minimal. “Strep this year, I don’t know what you guys have seen ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech will finalize its 30 teaching candidates for the Grow Your Own grant program later this month. College of Education Associate Dean Julie Baker said the 30 candidates will begin taking classes this summer. The candidates will work as they take classes as teaching assistants in five Upper Cumberland Counties. Baker said having the school systems play a part ... Read More »

The White County School System will return to school January 4th with in-person learning. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said keeping students in the classroom to learn was the main reason for the decision. “We have been in session since the first of September in-person full fledge,” Dronebarger said. “So, we try to continue that model as we’ve gone through ... Read More »

White County School’s Family Resource Center has seen an increase in homelessness and kids in need during the pandemic. Director Beverly Dronebarger said the Family Resource Center tries to provide food, laundry service, housing resources and utility assistance. Dronebarger said when kids go to school without their basic needs met, it is difficult to perform in the classroom. “If their ... Read More »

White County Schools have lost nine drivers over the last two years and dropped two routes due to staffing issues. This was said during the Thursday night school board meeting’s maintenance and transportation presentation. White County School Director Kurt Dronebarger said it has forced the school system to make some difficult decisions but is proud of the staff making transportation ... Read More »

The White County School System has about 500 students quarantined, one seventh of the total student population. During Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, Health Services Director Marcie Kinnard presented a representation of how quickly in school exposures can spread over a two week period. “I went through and assigned a letter to every kid,” Kinnard said. “Then I sat down ... Read More »

White County Schools are looking for math and special education teacher candidates through a grant program with Tennessee Tech. The Grow Your Own Grant program is meant to create a teacher pipeline by funding two years of schooling for in house candidates. Director of Schools Kurt Dronbarger said the school system has plenty of teacher assistants to be selected for ... Read More »

The White County School System is one step closer to having a one-to-one student to laptop ratio. That after the White County Board Of Education approved a $120,000 dollar state grant for laptops. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said every school is now capable of allowing a student to bring home a laptop. “This money is really huge at this ... Read More »

The design of Sparta’s new Findlay Elementary School is being submitted for a Tennessee School Board Association award. White County Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said it might be styled as learning factory with its saw tooth roof and cinder block walls, since it is near Sparta’s industrial park. However, the inside feels like a modern school. “There’s lots of ... Read More »