Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration in DeKalb County to be Conducted Differently This Year

May 5, 2020
By:

Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration in DeKalb County will look different this year. Registration packets will be passed out on May 13 with two separate times for parents to choose from.

May 13
9:00 am-11:00 am: Upcoming Pre-K and Kindergarten students can pick up packets at their designated school (Smithville Elementary or DeKalb West) at this time.

3:30 pm-5:30 pm: Upcoming Pre-K and Kindergarten students can pick up packets at their designated school (Smithville Elementary or DeKalb West) at this time.

*During both sets of time, upcoming kindergarten parents can sit in their car, complete the paperwork, and submit the registration packet all in one visit.

**Upcoming SES PRE-K parents will have to take their registration folder with them and schedule an appointment with Mrs. Burklow at the Board of Education (615-597-4084) to return their folders. Upcoming PRE-K parents MAY NOT return their registration to Smithville Elementary, these packets must be returned to Mrs. Burklow.

***DeKalb West School PRE-K packet drop offs for upcoming pre-K students will also be scheduled through Mrs. Burklow for drop off on May 20 at DWS.

May 20
8:00 am-5:00 pm: Parents may drop off their child’s completed KINDERGARTEN registration packets at their assigned school (SES or DWS) if they did not stay and complete them on May 13.

What will parents need for Kindergarten registration?
Parents will need COPIES of these four things: certified copy of birth certificate with the state seal, proof of residence in DeKalb County (i.e. gas/electric bill), and a current, up to date, physical examination and immunization record (These must be on a Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization, which can be obtained from your doctor’s office or the Health Department).

***Students must turn 5 on or before August 15, 2020 to enroll in kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year.

If a parent cannot provide a copy and the original is all they have, copies can be made at the school on May 13 or May 20. However, parents are encouraged to bring copies of the originals so that everything is prepared and finalized upon submission.

What will parents need for Pre-K registration?

Parents will need COPIES of these items: Proof of income for all household members, certified copy of birth certificate with the state seal, proof of residence in DeKalb County (i.e. gas/electric bill), and a current, up to date, physical examination and immunization record (These must be on a Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization, which can be obtained from your doctor’s office or the Health Department).

***Students must turn 4 on or before August 15, 2020 to enroll in Pre-K for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you have questions, please call Smithville Elementary at 615-597-4415, or DeKalb West School at 615-536-5332. Questions about Pre-K registration can be directed to Michelle Burklow at 615-597-4084.

May 4, 2020
By:

Heroic actions of an off duty THP Lieutenant rescued a young man during an outing on Center Hill Lake Saturday.

Lieutenant Charlie Caplinger was off duty with his fishing partner, Mike Redmon in a fishing tournament on Center Hill Lake. Around 10:00 a.m., they stopped to fish a spot when they heard a man talking loudly approximately 100 yards away. Initially, they thought he was just talking to his fishing partner. A few seconds later, the man started yelling for help and waving his arms. Lieutenant Caplinger and Mike immediately responded to the call for help.

When they arrived at the other party’s boat, a man said that his son had fallen into the water and could not swim, nor did he have a life jacket on. Lieutenant Caplinger jumped from his boat onto the other party’s boat. The son, appearing to be in his late 20’s or early 30’s, was hanging onto a tree covered in thorns. The father and Lieutenant Caplinger tried to lift the son back into the boat but were unable to do so. The other party’s boat began taking on large amounts of water and the rear of the boat started to sink.

Lieutenant Caplinger told the father to go to the front of the boat while Lieutenant Caplinger held onto the son. Lieutenant Caplinger’s fishing partner Mike, held onto the front of the boat to keep it from going further underwater, and threw Lieutenant Caplinger a life jacket for the son. Due to the circumstances, Lieutenant Caplinger was unable to get the life jacket on the son. Lieutenant Caplinger instructed Mike to put the boats together and push the boats to shallow water until the son could possibly stand on the bottom of the lake. Mike was able to push them to the bank, but the son was too exhausted to stand or move. The son’s lips were purple, and he kept saying, “Please don’t let me die.” After getting close to the bank, Lieutenant Caplinger, with the father’s assistance, pulled the son onto the back of his boat where he began to recover.

Lieutenant Caplinger offered to call 911 for an ambulance, but the family declined as the son started warming up and began to become more coherent. Over the weekend, Lieutenant Caplinger went one step further and checked on the son’s condition twice. The son is expected to be ok.

May 4, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Many DeKalb County land and business owners may see a change in their property assessments this year.

Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell said “Change of Assessment” letters are being sent to those affected.

“Change of assessment letters are going out in May because the assessment on your property, whether it be real property or personal property, has either gone up or down. There has been a change so you will get a “change of assessment” notice,” Cantrell said.

If you don’t agree with your property assessments, Cantrell said you should not wait until you get your tax bill in the fall to try and do something about it. The time to raise concerns is when the DeKalb County Board of Equalization meets in June. Cantrell will be taking appointments for those appeals starting May 18. The Board of Equalization will meet in person starting Monday, June 1 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  at the auditorium of the county complex building with social distancing practices in place.

“Remember once the county board has met then you can no longer appeal locally for the 2020 taxes. I think that’s what catches a lot of people by surprise. They get their tax notice October 1 and that’s what really gets their attention if their taxes have gone up. Then they want to appeal it. But by that time the appeal for 2020 has already passed. We’re in the appeal season now,” said Cantrell.

“What is important to remember is that the county board of equalization normally meets the first week in June and if you would like to appeal your assessment now is the time to do that. Beginning May 18 call our office at 615-597-5925 and make an appointment to meet with the county board of equalization to discuss the assessment on your appraisal,” Cantrell continued.

“It doesn’t have to be that you had a change of assessment this spring. Maybe nothing changed from last year but maybe you weren’t pleased with your assessment last year. Anybody can come and see the county board of equalization,” Cantrell added.

County equalization boards across the state are to meet each year on June 1 (or the next business day if the 1st falls on Saturday or Sunday). The county board is authorized by law to receive and hear appeals of current year property tax assessments as fixed by the county assessor of property. Generally an assessment must be appealed to the county board of equalization to preserve the taxpayer’s right to further appeal.

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