Welcome to our third community newsletter! As we move deeper into the Spring semester and finally begin enjoying the warmer weather, our district is energized and fully focused on ending the current school year on a high note. Even as we work to finish this year strong, we are already looking ahead and preparing to welcome our newest students. Please help us spread the word that Kindergarten and Pre-K registration for the 2026–2027 school year is now open. We encourage all prospective families to visit our district website for complete information and enrollment details to get their little ones ready for the fall.

The first-ever Hawkins County Nurse's Bowl was a resounding success! Healthcare students from Volunteer High School and Cherokee High School went head-to-head, demonstrating exceptional poise and mastery of nursing content through hands-on skills challenges, a terminology exam, and a competitive quiz bowl. While the competition was fierce, the true highlight was the remarkable camaraderie and teamwork displayed between students from both schools.

A huge congratulations to the students of Volunteer High School and their instructor, Mrs. Keri Helton, for taking home the inaugural championship! We also extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated CTE instructors—Eric, Angel, and Keri—for pouring their passion into our future healthcare professionals and our community.

Recent Board Meeting Highlights

Student Spotlights & Performances A special thank you to the talented students from Hawkins Elementary School (HES) who kicked off our gathering! They proudly led the Pledge of Allegiance and treated the group to a wonderful performance under the direction of music teacher Cris Griffin.

Athletic Achievements Congratulations to our outstanding Volunteer High School (VHS) student-athletes! The VHS Wrestling team was recognized for their hard work and dedication this season. We also celebrated a student golfer for his incredible achievements in state golf. 

Staff & School Recognitions Hawkins County Schools is proud to recognize 15 outstanding teachers who partnered with Comprehensive Educational Resources (CER) over the past year. These educators dedicated countless hours to developing high-quality lessons and instructional resources in their content areas that can be shared and used by teachers across the consortium.  Congratulations to Mindy Hunley, Eric Mabie, Cris Griffin, Cindy Childress, Cindy Burnett, Rebecca Champion, Kim Minton, Mischa Fairchild, Bethany Statzer, LeAnn Deleon, Brittany Rhoton, Krista Mann, Monica Hurd, Nicole Miller-Clark, and Kristen Seaver. Thank you for the work you do each day to support students, teachers, and learning across our region. 

2026-2027 School Calendar: The board has officially approved the school calendar for the 26-27 academic year.

Policy Updates The HCBOE has officially passed the Section 1 and 2 policies, which include a few recent revisions. Keep an eye on our district website—the updated policies will be uploaded soon for your review.

Announcing the Elva J. Carney Davis Student Support Service Building

We are incredibly proud to announce that our Special Education Building has officially been named in honor of Mrs. Elva Carney Davis! This dedication celebrates her remarkable legacy and a lifetime devoted to the service of children, families, our community, and the field of education.

Transforming Hawkins County Schools Beginning her career in 1966 as a speech-language teacher, Mrs. Davis advanced through federal programs to eventually become the second appointed Special Education Supervisor for Hawkins County. Her leadership significantly shaped the structure and quality of special education programs not only within our county but across surrounding districts.

She was widely respected for her eagerness to mentor teachers and administrators, generously sharing her expertise to cultivate strong, sustainable programs. As her colleagues often noted, when Mrs. Davis spoke, people listened—her leadership consistently inspired trust, respect, and confidence.

Championing Inclusive Education Perhaps her most profound and lasting contribution was her fierce advocacy for inclusion. At a time when students with complex needs were often educated separately from their peers, Mrs. Davis championed a shift away from segregated settings. She worked tirelessly to ensure students could learn alongside their classmates in their home schools, turning her deeply held belief in equal opportunity into a reality. This inclusive philosophy remains a cornerstone of our district's commitment to students today.

An Enduring Impact Now, her name proudly stands on the building where her vital work continues. Mrs. Davis’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of our school system—found not just in policies, but in the educators she mentored, the leaders she shaped, and the countless students whose lives were changed because she refused to accept limitations on their potential. Through her vision, determination, and compassion, she helped create a school system that is more supportive, equitable, and accessible for all.

Special Area Teachers and support specialists are a vital part of our school family. Because these dedicated professionals often operate without a traditional homeroom or a typical class roster, we wanted to take a special moment to highlight the incredible work they do every day in atypical classrooms and instructional settings. On March 5, 2026, HCS celebrated these amazing teachers! 

Whether they are teaching a new skill, providing essential therapy, or offering guidance, we are incredibly grateful for our:

Art, Music, and PE Teachers

Technology Teachers

School Counselors and Librarians

Speech-Language Pathologists

Occupational Therapists (OT) and Physical Therapists (PT)

Vision and Hearing Specialists

Interpreters

Homebound Teachers

Thank you to all of these amazing professionals who team up to ensure every student gets the specialized care and education they need. If you see a special area teacher or support specialist, please take a moment to let them know how much you appreciate them!

Yeehaw! Hats Off to Our Support Staff!

April brings a special opportunity to tip our hats to our incredible paraprofessionals and support staff! Our nurses, office workers, data clerks, bookkeepers, and assistants are the true unsung heroes of our district. Every single day, they wrangle paperwork, keep our books straight, and care for our students with cowboy-sized hearts. Thank you to all our amazing support staff for everything you do to keep our schools running smoothly!

Dear HCS Community Members,

As we approach our testing season, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work we have done this year, share our collaborative vision for the future, and celebrate several outstanding achievements within our school community.

Celebrating Our Educators & Programs

Even as we navigate district planning, we have so much excellence to showcase across Hawkins County!

State Advisory Appointments: Please join me in congratulating Adam Hagood (8th-grade Social Studies, CHMS) and Staci Knipp (7th-grade Social Studies, SMS) for being appointed to the Tennessee Social Studies Advisory Committee! They will play a vital role in advancing statewide education by refining resources and elevating best practices.

Morgan Wallen Foundation Music Grants: Congratulations to Bulls Gap, Carter’s Valley, and Surgoinsville Middle Schools! Each school received $5,000 for audio, video, and lighting equipment, as well as choral risers. A huge thank you to the Morgan Wallen Foundation for their ongoing support of the arts, and to Debbi Pressnell for her tireless efforts in securing these grants.

Special Area Teachers: Congratulations again to all HCS Special Area Teachers who were recognized across the district. Thank you to the Utrust Committee members at each site who did a great job celebrating these essential staff members.

District Business & Legislative Updates

District Planning: With changes being instituted by the State Department of Education, we have begun planning meetings to update our one-year and three-year goals. This new process will streamline our efforts by combining the district three-year plans with our strategic plan.

TOSS Legislative Conference: I recently attended the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents annual conference to hear from the State Department of Education and legislators regarding current bills affecting education. You can view the status of discussed bills here: https://legiscan.com/TN.

Budget Development: We successfully held our March Board meeting and 2026-27 budget workshop earlier this month, continuing our preparations for the upcoming school year.

Looking Ahead

Empowering Site-Based Collaboration: This year was largely a reset and calibration year for our district. We used this time to identify priority standards across all grade levels and departments, develop common formative assessments, and ensure all educators had multiple opportunities to collaborate with their peers. I know from feedback that this year felt heavy as we challenged some of our status quo procedures, but it has proven to be very successful. There is no doubt in my mind we will see the fruit of this success as we wind up the last nine weeks.

As we look to next year, we recognize that our large, spread-out school system has varied needs, and "one size does not always fit all." Moving forward, we are shifting our focus to empower site-based, teacher-led collaboration.

School-Driven Planning: We will depend largely on each site to develop and facilitate their own collaboratives next year. You will still see Central Office support, but the data analysis, goal setting, and action plans will be driven by each site's teams based on the needs of their individual students.

Teacher/Director of Schools Team: I will be forming a new team that will meet quarterly to ensure those of us at the Central Office never overlook what is happening in our classrooms and how it is affecting our teachers.

Central Office Restructuring: We will be rearranging our structure at the Central Office to place customer service and support for our employees as the top priority across all departments.

2026-2027 Calendar Update: The Board of Education passed the 2026-27 school calendar this past Tuesday. .

Finishing Strong

I truly love working with all of you. I hope we will remain a tight family and truly support one another in this work through trust and open dialogue. There is no doubt in my mind that we will be the model for what rural, undervalued communities can do when everyone in a school system works TOGETHER behind one purpose and one vision.

Let's finish the last nine weeks just as strongly as we completed the first three quarters of this year!

Sincerely,

Matt Hixson
Director of Schools