News
Number of Teachers and Other Professional Personnel Total 232 for 2025-26 School Year
June 13, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has hired a total of 232 teachers and other professional personnel for the 2025-26 school year.
Cripps presented a list of the employees to the Board of Education Thursday night.
Certified personnel at each school are as follows:
DeKalb County High School:
Joey Agee, Brandy Alley, Charlotte Blaylock, Amanda Brown, Brian Cadle, Jeanine Cantrell, Todd Cantrell, Hope Carter, Lisa Craig, Eli Cross, Hannah Culwell, Bruce Curtis, Deborah DePriest, Edward Dillard, Ethan Duke, Luke Dycus, Lauren Ferrell, Amy Fricks, Amanda Fuller, Luke Green, Britney Gulley, Josh Gulley, Lesa Hayes, Bradley Hendrix, Sonja House, Ann Inglis, Alivia Jared, Angie Johnson, Jon Jones, Lindsay Kennedy, Dylan Kleparek, Brad Leach, Rebecca Miller, Lori Myrick, Jenny Norris, Morgan Oyster, Shelly Painter, Leslie Parsley, Cole Parsley, Maxwell Patterson, John Pryor, Cody Randolph, Maddison Richardson, Gabby Robinson, Melissa Ruch, Michael Shaw, Steve Trapp, Erin Turner, Stephanie Turner, Tad Webb, Barbara Weller, Brittany Weller, Emily Wheeler, Kason Wheeler, Michael Whitefield, Seth Willoughby, and Sara Young.
Northside Elementary School:
Marla Beshearse, Callie Betencourt, Linda Bush, Sandy Cantrell, Shanea Cantrell, Shaunta Cantrell, Megan Carroll, Taylor Chapman, Allison Collier, Kelsey Cornelius, Tiffany Cowart, Alisha Day, Tara Driver, Tabitha Farmer, Megan Ford, Stephanie Fuson, Amanda Goodwin, Carrie Gottlied, Amanda Griffith, Patty Hale, Jennifer Herndon, Shelly Jennings, Angela Johnson, Trey Jones, Sarah Kurtz, Lisa Mabe, Amanda Mathis, Elizabeth Miller, Diana Moon, Melissa Odom, Beth Pafford, Amanda Parker, Greg Rains, Kathy Ramsey, Amy Raymond, Bethany Rigsby, Kristen Rowland, Melissa Roysdon, Jennifer Salas, Tammy Sims, Carol Tripp, Cheryl Vandagriff, Melissa Wallace, and Kristen Van Vranken.
DeKalb West School:
Jessica Antoniak, Crystal Barnes, Vickey Barrett, Dwayne Blair, Hannah Bratton, Mollie Bratten, Whitney Brelje, Jenny Cantrell, Jeanna Caplinger, Rayanna Chapman, Trent Colwell, Kim Crook, Kayley Curtis, Rachel Desimone, Wade Dunnaway, Tonya Ellis, Sabrina Farler, Rachel Hernandez, Cathleen Humphrey, Kristen Malone, Jennifer Martin, Shelia McMillen, Leslie Moore, Amanda Mullinax, Olivia Neal, Ashley Nokes, Kelly Pyburn, Missy Sliger, Cynthia Snow, Teresa Sullivan, Susan West, Samantha Woodward, and Amy Young.
Smithville Elementary School:
Misty Agee, Ashley Barnes, Katie Barrett, Lindsey Bouldin, Priscilla Campbell, Beth Cantrell, Cayla Cantrell, Mary Cantrell, Claire Cloyd, Brittany Daniel, Amy Davis, Calista Dodson, Ashley Dugaw, Madison Elkins, Caitlin Fox, Karen France, Stephanie Hensley, Tanya Howard, Amber Howell, Kelly Huling, Elizabeth James, Ana Jarvis, Sydney Johnson, Stormy Komandosky, Emily Lattimore, Leah Magness, Stephanie Majors, Adrienne McCormick, Christina Merriman, Serah Mitchell, Chloe Mooneyham, Jacquelyn Overbey, Anita Puckett, Jane Ramsey, Amanda Rhoady, Janie Roberts, Sydney Simmonds, Brian Smith, Cristy Spears, Cynthia Stoglin, Kaylene Thomason, Allyson Trapp, Brad Trapp, Carol Tripp, Patricia Ward, Kristy Williams, Lisa Woods, Elizabeth Wright, and Crystal Young.
DeKalb Middle School:
January Agee, Josh Agee, Suzette Barnes, Kelly Birmingham, Galen Brown, Victoria Christian, Nancy Cowan, Melba Farmer, Heather Harney, Amy Hayes, Holly Hendrix, Lori Hendrix, Lorie Isabell, Sarah Jacobs-McGregor, Nikitta Johnson, Bryan Jones, Michelle Jones, Teresa Jones, Alyssa Leslie, Cameron Lester, Kristen Lynch, Martha Melching, LeVaughnda Midgett, Justin Nokes, Colter Norris, Erin Patterson, Courtney O’Conner, Scott Odom, Hunter Poteete, Justin Poteete, Deb Poteete, Candice Scrabo, Jennifer Sykes, Carson Speck, Danni Stahlke, Carol Tallent, Kitty Thomas, Cheryl Vance, Isaac Vincent, Jennifer West, and Christie Young
Central Office Staff:
Michelle Burklow, Danielle Collins, Elise Driver, Emily Estes, Randy Jennings, Joey Reeder, Lori Rogers, and Natasha Vaughn.
Director Announces Rehires of 178 Support Staff for 2025-26 School Year
June 13, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has employed the 178 support staff members for the 2025-26 school year.
The personnel report was submitted to the Board of Education during Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting.
Those employed are as follows:
DeKalb County High School:
Abby Bates, Dean Broadhead, Kathy Chapman, Jamie Cripps, Rochelle Davis, Tena Edwards, Lori Gallagher, Yvonne Hale, Brooke Hutchings, Mary King, Tracy Kyle, Susan Farris, Cheryl Mach, Marsha Martin, Mike Merriman, Tera Mooneyham, Holly Moore, Sara Parker, Santos Sosa, Tim Stribling, Cynthia Taylor, Tina Templeton, and Vicky Walker.
DeKalb Middle School:
Fay Baker, Deanna Brooks, Martha Cantrell, Katie Denton, Trena Ferrell, Brittany Gard, Kecia Harden, Ester Holder, Patricia Linder, Tammy Maynard, Lacey McMillen, Lisa Norton, Brandi Patterson, Tina Pedigo, Nina Poole, and Miranda Waggoner
Smithville Elementary School:
Jennifer Adcock, Charlotte Bertsh, Jamie Bloise, Brenda Beth Cantrell, Brenda G. Cantrell, Kellen Curtis, Darlene Evans, Betty Griffith, Margie Hale, Tanya Howard, Amanda Johnson, Malia Laird, Isla Ledbetter, Talitha Looney, Rita Matthews, Chelsie May, Rebecca Parker, Lori Poss, Brenda Rigney, Jennifer Roller, Talitha Shirah, Jackie Stockling, Marie Storie, Allison Taylor, Mary-Margaret Tripp, Tammy Tyler, Harper Wallace, and Celia Whaley.
Northside Elementary School:
Kortny Blaylock, Chelsie Bryant, Doris Cantrell, Rosalinda Cervantas, Amber Cripps. Terrie Ford, Glenda Gassaway, Mary Hancock, Tamara Judkins, LaTonya Kleparek, Ivory Knauer, Ann Knisley, Crystal Moore, Angela O’Connell, Deanna Page, David Parker, Dennis Patz, Carla Pelham, Joy Troncoso, Rita Umstead, Harper Wallace, and Deneene Willingham.
DeKalb West School:
Emily Davis, Donna Driver, Makenzie Dunaway, Alex Hancock, Korin Harrod, Jessica Lieser, Nancy Mulloy, Riley Overstreet, Courtney Reynolds, Tonya Roberts, Christine Roehner, Kristi Sullivan, Danyelle Troyer, Brandi Turney, and Brandi Womack.
County Wide Positions:
Chandra Adcock, Ally Atnip, Amanda Carter, Cindy Childers, James Culberson, Debra Culver, Bettye June Dodd, Kathy Dodd, Christie Driver, Susan Farris, Wade Ferrell, Lacey Foutch, Greg Frasier, Jordon Funk, Donna Hale, Lisa Hale, Judy Hafifield, Rebecca Hawkins, Bernice Hendrixson, Dillon Hicks, Karen Kidd, Ginda Kilgore, Terrie Kilgore, Lindsey Knight, Ashley Lawson, Maggie Lawson, Jenean Lawson, Debra London, Shirley Mathis, Greg Matthews, Kirby Morton, Melissa Pirtle, Danny Pirtle, Jr., Cindy Rhody, Frederick Sanders, Kathy Stanley, Beverly Starnes, Barbara Thweatt, Kimberly Turner, Jamie Vickers, Penny Walker, Jeff Whitefield, Joannie Williams, Mary Williams, and Aaron Young.
Transportation:
Zack Adams, Debra Bernal, Danny Bond, Dwayne Cantrell, Todd Cantrell, Debbie Eaton, Marshall Ferrell, Lori Gallagher, David Gash, Judith Hale, Melissa Hicks, Danny Jenkins, Daniel Lawson, Josh Lawson, Cheryl Mach, Scott McBroom, Mike Merriman, Ronald Merriman, Brandi O’Conner, Linda Gail Pack, Tony Poss, Kelly Pyburn, Ashley Redmon, Myron Rhody, Carol Swope, Mark Violet, Danny Washer, Angela Wilkerson, and Linda Williams.
Alderman Jeff Ford Appointed Mayor of Alexandria
June 12, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Alexandria has a new mayor.
One day after the resignation of Mayor Beth Tripp, the town council met in special session Thursday evening and confirmed the appointment of Alderman Jeff Ford as the new Mayor of Alexandria. After the meeting he was sworn into office by the city recorder Jessica Howard.
The first order of business during the special meeting Thursday was for the aldermen to accept the resignation of Mayor Tripp which they did. With that action Alderman and Vice Mayor Bobby Simpson became mayor but he declined to serve in the role and offered his resignation as mayor which the aldermen accepted. Simpson then made a motion to appoint Alderman Ford as mayor and the aldermen approved the appointment. Simpson still remains on the board as Alderman and said he would consider accepting the reappointment to Vice Mayor.
The board of aldermen consists of Aldermen Bobby Simpson, Luke Prichard, Jonathon Tripp, Sherry Tubbs, and David Cripps. Upon becoming mayor, Jeff Ford stepped down as Alderman. Alderman Tripp was absent at the special meeting Thursday evening.
Alderman Simpson then took a moment to recognize the city hall office staff including Jessica Howard, the town recorder, property tax clerk, water clerk, and court clerk; financial officer Rhonda Conatser; and part time water clerks Dora Stranathan and Amber Ahlgard.
“A lot of people probably don’t realize the job that these girls do and the crap they have to put up with on a daily basis. They are the ones that run this town and ring the cash register in there. They are taking care of the town and about 1100 water customers. I appreciate every one of them,” said Alderman Simpson.
The aldermen then voted to authorize Mayor Ford, Aldermen Simpson and Prichard, and Financial Officer Conatser to access or sign checks on city bank accounts and to remove Mayor Tripp’s name from that list.
Police Chief Vincent Turocy and Officer Jon Jenkins were authorized to have access to the city’s drug fund and to remove the name of former Chief K.D. Smith.
In other business the aldermen restored the hours of city hall employees previously reduced by Mayor Tripp. “What this means is Beth sent some home and manipulated their schedules, and we want to restore that, so they get the paychecks they were expecting to pay their bills. I have Jessica Howard as a 40-hour employee, Rhonda Conatser as a 40-hour employee, Dora Stranathan at 24 hours and Amber Ahlgard at 24 hours”, said Mayor Ford.
According to the aldermen there is now some interest in the vacant city attorney position, and they plan to interview a Cookeville attorney and possibly others soon.
The next Alexandria mayor and aldermen meeting will be Tuesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. at city hall.
