News and Articles

Cayla Rucker, one-on-one assistant at Taylor County Primary Center, is a recipient of the TC Cares Award. Each day, she is the eyes and ears for disabled students, allowing them to participate in class. “Miss Cayla is one of our quiet, unsung heroes at the primary center,” TCPC Principal Melissa Long said. “She has a very difficult job, but she never complains. When I ask for her help, she does it gracefully and she does it well.”

Donna Williams, principal at Taylor County Intermediate School, is a recipient of the TC Leadership Award. Mrs. Williams has been a pillar of the school district in her role as principal, and will be retiring at the end of this school year.
“When I became principal at the middle school, Donna was a huge confidant. She was someone I could lean on, and I knew I could always call her and get great advice that would set me off in the right direction. She has impacted many lives during her time with the school district, including my own,” TCHS Principal Sara Tucker said.
“For the last 10 years, Donna has been my mentor. The day she was hired I was in the hospital giving birth, and she asked to come visit me. We’ve been best friends ever since,” TCPC Principal Melissa Long said.
“You can’t replace Donna Williams, you just don’t. We just hope that you’ve rubbed off and created through your work more people like you,” TCMS Principal Neil Sanders said. “I’ve known Mrs. Williams for a long time, going all the way back to elementary school, and I still remember my mom, who worked at the middle school, at 7:30 p.m. working on lesson plans with her. I’ll never forget it, her level of commitment is just unparalleled, and she brought that into her principalship to do a remarkable job for over a decade. It’s something to be proud of, and we’re going to miss you.”
“This district has an amazing group of principals, and these three have been wonderful to work with,” Mrs. Williams said. “I was blessed to teach with kids for 18 years and I’ve been principal for 11, and have an amazing school with amazing staff and amazing kids. I’ve just been blessed, so blessed, and I thank the Lord all the time for putting me in this position. I had long thought I would stay in the classroom until I retired, but He had other plans. Retiring is very bittersweet, but my time here has been wonderful.”

The 2023 KHSAA Region 3 Tournament was held Saturday, April 29th at Green River Lake. A total of 91 teams from 25 schools were in attendance!

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒! ➡️ 8th graders Easton Young and Colton Thompson are the 2023 KHSAA Region 3 Champions! They weighed a five fish limit of 18.15 lbs.

They also won Big Fish of the tournament with a bass weighing 4.14 lbs.

The duo has qualified for the KHSAA State Tournament on May 12th and 13th at Kentucky Lake!

ALSO QUALIFYING for the State Tournament:

➡️ Sophomores Cole Richerson and Kayden Bicket with three fish weighing 11.8 lbs (12th place).

➡️ Seniors Noah Dabney and Bradley Norman with four fish weighing 8.15 lbs (19th place).

Expect greatness from Taylor County Fishing!

Lauren Nelson, a senior at TCHS, placed 1st at the HOSA state competition in March!

She qualified to advance to the HOSA International Competition in June in Dallas, Texas.

We are so proud of the hard work she put into her competitive event. What a great opportunity to compete with HOSA members from all over the world! 🌎

Expect greatness from our TCHS students!

Congratulations to this month’s TC Achievement Award winners!

Angie Newton, preschool teacher at Taylor County Primary Center, is a recipient of the TC Cares Award. Mrs. Newton has gone above and beyond to help our preschool students and their families. “Mrs. Newton hasn’t been with us long, but she has helped out so much already that it feels like she’s always been here,” TCPC Principal Melissa Long said. “That she is willing to take on all of these additional students, carry that workload, and has a plan to teach them and do a good job means a lot to me as an administrator.”

Jericho McCoy received the TC Pride Award for his leadership of the TCHS Show Choir program. Mr. McCoy was a student of the previous TCHS choir teacher, Mrs. Lisa Gupton, and has worked hard to build upon the foundation of greatness she left for him. “I watched the show choir performance I think seven times, and it got better every time,” Superintendent Charles Higdon Jr. said. “The show is good every year, but to see it multiple times and have it get better and better each time is amazing, as is the amount of things they have to memorize and go through on stage.” TCHS Assistant Principal Sam Marple thanked Mr. McCoy for investing his passion into the show choir program, and recognized the amount of time and effort he puts into working with so many students across grade levels to put together the annual spring production.

Jennifer Fitzpatrick received the TC Leadership Award for her work as assistant principal at Taylor County High School. “When I got out of high school, I went to work for a guy who said you know the value you have as a worker based on how much extra work others have to do when you’re not there,” Mr. Marple said. “I can tell Mrs. Fitz is a great worker, because some of my toughest days at work are when she’s not there.” He praised the strong connections Mrs. Fitzpatrick has made with students at the high school, working with them to build rapport and help meet their needs so they are able to overcome behavioral concerns.
 

Congratulations to this month’s TC Achievement Award winners!

Pam Huddleston, administrator and guidance secretary at Taylor County Middle School, is a recipient of the TC Cares Award. As an administrator at TCMS, Mrs. Huddleston wears too many hats to count and is a key part of the office staff that keeps the school going. In the lead up to her retirement at the end of this school year, TCMS Principal Neil Sanders felt it was only right to recognize her hard work with an achievement award. “When someone stops me with a question, my first resource and my last resort are both Miss Pam, because she’s going to know the answer,” Mr. Sanders said. “Honoring her with this award was the least we could do to thank her for the help she has provided not just during my tenure, but during that of Mrs. Tucker, Mrs. Harvey, and Mr. Jewell going back decades.”

Kristen Absher received the TC Partnership Award for helping to secure a new audio system for the Taylor County Bank Cardinal Athletic Center at Taylor County Middle School. As a parent of kids who attend TCMS, Mrs. Absher recognized the need for new audio equipment in the gymnasium and worked with the school to make it happen. “I have gotten to know Mrs. Absher, and it’s clear to me that she loves her family, loves the school her kids go to, and when she sees a need she wants to help. But, she doesn’t really want to be recognized for it,” Mr. Bradstreet said. “And yet, we felt it important to recognize her, because she has been a huge help to our school and will benefit not just student athletes, but our entire student body for years to come, long after her own children have left TCMS.”

Lisa Oliver received the TC Partnership Award in recognition of the time and effort she puts into supporting sports programs at Taylor County High School. As the wife of TCHS Athletic Director Greg Oliver, Mrs. Oliver is frequently a huge help at Taylor County sporting events. “I don’t think we always appreciate our coworkers’ spouses, because the truth is, they support us and dedicate their time to supporting us both at home and at school,” TCHS Principal Sara Tucker said. “Mrs. Oliver is one of those spouses who is very dedicated and involved. During the regional tournament, she was making sure the hospitality room was working well to serve the needs of our team and our visitors. Whether it’s the basketball court, the football field, or anywhere else, we appreciate your help and love you so much.” District Athletic Director Chris Goodin also had nothing but praise for all of her hard work. “For as long as I can remember, having been here over 20 years, she’s always been a mama hen to everybody. To say she keeps things going behind the scenes is an understatement,” Mr. Goodin said. “I’ve seen her many facets throughout the years we’ve shared together, and I’m really glad to know her. She deserves this award as much as anyone, and I’m very glad to see her get it.”