DeKalb School District Needs Bus Drivers

August 9, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County School District needs more bus drivers.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps put out the call during Thursday night’s monthly Board of Education meeting.

“If you or someone you know would like to drive a school bus we are taking applications. We are in dire need of bus drivers and you can call the main office here at 615-597-4084 or go on-line to apply to drive a bus. If you don’t want to drive full time we will accept substitute drivers as well,” said Director Cripps.

To be a school bus driver you must be at least 25 years old and have a CDL license, Class A or Class B. You must have a Passenger and School Bus Endorsement, carry a current medical card, have a clean DMV record, and you must be able to pass a background check and drug screening. After a bus driver is hired, there are random drug tests at the bus garage for all drivers.

The Transportation Department has also been without a director since the departure of Jimmy Sprague who resigned several weeks ago but an announcement on a successor is expected soon.

There is also a need for mechanics. Temporary outside mechanic help has been brought in to help staff maintain and make repairs to the school system’s fleet of buses.

August 9, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Saints, defending Champions of the Middle Tennessee Football Conference, opened their 2019 season Thursday night with a 16-14 road win at York Institute in Jamestown.

The Saints found themselves down 6-0 before taking an 8 to 6 lead on a touchdown and 2 point conversion. York scored again in the fourth period and converted a 2 point play to regain the advantage 14 to 8 but the Saints would not be denied scoring another touchdown with 1:50 left in the game and with the successful 2 point conversion they went on to win 16-14.

According to Coach Justin Poteete, Ari White and Briz Trapp scored the touchdowns for the Saints and Trapp converted both 2 point plays.

Stats:

Rushing:

Briz Trapp 14-89- 1 TD

Ari White 10-39- 1 TD

Tyler Jackson 4-16

Gabe Hollingsworth 1-6

Receiving:

Gabe Hollingsworth 2-50

Ari White 2-12

Passing

Briz Trapp 4/6  62

The remaining 2019 Saints schedule is as follows:
Conference games (*)
Homecoming game (**)
Game times for road games are subject to change.

Thursday, August 15: Smith County* (Away) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 22: Trousdale County* (Home) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 29: Overton County** (Home) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 5: Upperman* (Away) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 12: Macon County* (8th grade night) (Home) 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 19: TBA (Cross Conference Game-determined by seeding)

Saturday, September 28: Conference Championship TBA

(DeKalb Saints Football Team: front row left to right: Axel Aranda, Andrew Dakas, Aaron Hatfield, Gabe Hollingsworth, Wesley Kent, Ty Webb, Kobe Curtis, Pablo Torres, and Gracin South. Back row left to right: Shon Tucker, Austin Nicholson, Konner Young, Briz Trapp, Ari White, Tyler Jackson, Trace Hamilton, Wil Farris, Alex Lemons, Bryce Stembridge.

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System is up by five students compared to last year at this time.

Comparing the numbers for the first full week of school, total enrollment from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade district wide is 2,998 as of Thursday (August 8), up from 2,993 last year.

According to Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, the numbers are down at two of the five schools and up at the other three. “We’re up by five students county wide from where we were a year ago. Of course, this is an ever changing number and it will be changing daily from now until probably after Labor Day. Usually it’s the Monday after Labor Day before you get numbers firmed up about who has moved in and moved out,” said Reeder.

As of  Thursday, August 8 enrollment at each school is as follows compared to last year:

DCHS: 840 (down by 33 students)
DeKalb Middle School: 607 (up by 35 students)
Northside Elementary: 594 (down by 9 students)
Smithville Elementary: 560 (up by 4 students)
DeKalb West School: 397 (up by 8 students)

Enrollment at DCHS breaks down as follows:
9th grade: 221 students (down by 5 students)
10th grade: 210 students (down by 13 students)
11th grade: 209 students (down by 4 students)
12th grade: 201 students (down by 10 students)

Enrollment District-Wide by grade level is as follows:
Pre-Kindergarten: 122 (SES & DWS combined) (up by 11)
Kindergarten: 222 (SES & DWS combined) (up by 10)
1st grade: 212 (SES & DWS) (down by 1)
2nd grade: 220 (SES, Northside, & DWS) (up by 5)
3rd grade: 230 (Northside & DWS) (same as last year)
4th grade: 219 (Northside & DWS) (up by 21)
5th grade: 205 (Northside & DWS) (down by 37)
6th grade: 239 (DMS & DWS) (down by 13)
7th grade: 255 (DMS & DWS) (up by 24)
8th grade: 234 (DMS & DWS) (up by 18)

Enrollment by School:
DeKalb Middle School:
6th grade: 212 (up by 2)
7th grade: 213 (up by 29)
8th grade: 182 (up by 4)

Northside Elementary:
2nd grade: 61 (up by 10)
3rd grade: 185 (up by 2)
4th grade: 181 (up by 23)
5th grade: 167 (down by 44)

Smithville Elementary:
Pre-K: 99 (up by 3)
Kindergarten: 174 (up by 5)
1st grade: 169 (up by 1)
2nd grade: 118 (down by 4)

DeKalb West School:
Pre-K: 23 (up by 8)
Kindergarten: 48 (up by 5)
1st grade: 44 (down by 1)
2nd grade: 41 (down by 1)
3rd grade: 44 (down by 3)
4th grade: 38 (down by 2)
5th grade: 38 (up by 8)
6th grade: 27 (down by 15)
7th grade: 42 (down by 5)
8th grade: 52 (up by 14)

Reeder urges parents to make sure their children attend school on time every day classes are in session. “Students who miss 18 school days per year-regardless of the cause-will be considered chronically absent under State Department of Education regulations. The number of chronically absent students will also reflect on the overall performance score given to the school system. The state uses an accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator. Students who miss more than 10 percent of the school year, for any reason, are considered chronically out of school. This would typically be students that miss 18 or more school days out of our 180-day school year calendar,” reported Reeder.

Under state law, if a student misses as few as five days of school “unexcused” he or she is considered “truant”. “We won’t take you to juvenile court for five days missed but we will send a letter to the parents to arrange a meeting with them to see what can be done to improve their child’s attendance,” said Reeder.

Tardies are also a concern, especially early in the morning. “We don’t have a lot of tardies during the day. Its like during first block in the morning when they are getting there a few minutes late. We ask parents bringing their children to school to please arrive on time by 7:45 a.m. because three tardies can equal one unexcused absence,” said Reeder“

Meanwhile, Reeder urges parents who are home schooling their children to contact the school system to let them know.”I wish you would come by and register with us. It helps us to know where they (students) are and what they are doing. Some people withdraw their kids from the school system to home school and we never hear from them again in the following years. Legally, parents are suppose to register but there is really not a penalty if they don’t. It just helps us keep up with where the students are at. Registering is not a big deal. It doesn’t take but five minutes and it would help us out some,” said Reeder.

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