School board approves county middle school swim team 

A middle school swim team that would bridge the gap between the Paris Swim Team and the Henry County High School Swim Team has been approved by the county’s board of education.

At its March 8 meeting, the board unanimously approved a request from swimming coach Jessica Hart to establish a Henry County Middle School swim team, starting with the 2025-26 school year.

The team will be coached by Hart, who also coaches the Paris and HCHS teams. Like those teams, the middle school team would be formed under the auspices of the Middle Tennessee High School Swimming Association, and in partnership with the Paris Swim Team, which already counts several middle-school-aged swimmers among its members.

Operational costs will come from the swimmers’ club dues, with no funding required from the school system.

It will operate as a cooperative between Harrelson, Henry and Lakewood schools. Like the high school team, competing under the name of Henry County Middle School will allow the team’s swimmers to compete for qualifying times in the Middle School Championship.

“In addition, establishing a middle school program would support the long-term growth and sustainability of the high school swim team,” Hart stated in a letter to the board. “Many young swimmers tend to drop the sport during middle school, either to try other sports or step away from athletics altogether. This initiative would serve as a bridge, keeping our elementary-level swimmers engaged and committed through middle school and into high school.”

In other business, the board:

• Approved a budget of $35.9 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

According to an overview by Leah Watkins, county director of schools, the system has budgeted for a 4% pay increase for support and certified staff. For example, the starting salary for a beginning teacher with no experience would be $49,124.

It also budgets for an anticipated rise in health care insurance rates.

“We don't have those numbers yet, but we are planning to be able to absorb the insurance increase up to 7% if that were to pass, so that our rate of insurance pay doesn’t change to our employees,” Watkins said.

The system also expects to see an increase in revenues from a pending partnership with Dyersburg State Community College. The college, which currently conducts classes in the Central Community Service Center on Jones Bend Road, hopes to use the Grove School campus for classes after the county’s 9th-grade students move from there to Henry County High School at the start of the next school year. The county school system would still retain ownership, Watkins said.

She also reminded the board that the debt for high school construction hadn’t been completed, the system would no longer receive the $775,000 in wheel tax funds for that purpose after the tax sunsets on June 30.

•  Saw Watkins honored as Northwest Tennessee’s Superintendent of the Year by the state’s school superintendents organization.

Gary Lilly, executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS), made the trip from Nashville to present the award.

“I know you all know this, but Dr. Watkins is respected throughout the state as an excellent leader with vision, as an expert in pedagogy who not only stays abreast of the current research and best practices, but also applies it,” he said.

Candidates are nominated based on criteria set by the American Association of School Administrators, including leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

Watkins is one of two state representatives on the AASA governing board, serves as chairman of the Northwest Superintendents Study Council and sits on the Executive Study Council’s board of directors.

“You can tell how much I respect and admire Dr. Watkins, but I had nothing to do with this,” Lilly said. “She was selected for this honor by her peers in the region, and I think that means even more.”

Watkins will be among the regional candidates eligible for the state superintendent of the year award, which will be selected in September.