Decatur County Schools Announces Board Meeting, Dual Enrollment Session, Pre-K Registration

A seat in a dual enrollment class this fall could save a Riverside High junior or senior more than $600 in college tuition before they ever set foot on a campus as a full-time student, and the district is holding an informational meeting Thursday evening to walk families through who qualifies, what the application process involves, and how to act before scheduling deadlines close.

Tennessee's Dual Enrollment Grant, administered through the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, covers tuition and fees at participating postsecondary institutions for qualifying high school juniors and seniors. The statewide grant runs $601.65 per course for the first five courses a student completes, meaning a junior who starts this fall and finishes five dual enrollment classes before graduation can enter college with a full semester's worth of credit already posted and roughly $3,000 in tuition costs already covered. The grant covers up to ten total courses, with TSAC setting award rates for courses six through ten.

Eligibility requires students to be classified as a high school junior or senior at a two- or four-year institution, meet the admissions criteria of the participating college, and submit a TSAC online application by the posted deadline. Missing that window means paying tuition out of pocket for the semester. Thursday's session at Riverside, scheduled for the evening of April 9, gives current 11th and 12th graders the planning steps they need before fall 2026-27 registration opens in earnest.

The Decatur County School System has maintained dual-credit programming as part of its curriculum across four SACS-accredited schools, a priority the county's chamber of commerce has highlighted as part of the district's commitment to college and career preparation. Riverside High is the district's only high school and the sole venue where county students pursue dual enrollment pathways to postsecondary credit.

Earlier that same Thursday, the Decatur County Board of Education holds its monthly public meeting in the district's Board conference room. The nine-member elected board will take up the standard range of district business, including budget decisions, personnel actions, facility maintenance contracts, and any pending capital planning matters that touch all four schools: Decaturville Elementary, Parsons Elementary, Decatur County Middle School, and Riverside. Residents are welcome to attend, and the full agenda is posted through the district's official calendar ahead of the meeting.

Pre-K families are also on the clock. The district opened a registration window for publicly funded early-education seats for the coming school year, and spots are limited. District staff including Dr. Amanda Creasy and Jessica Swafford posted enrollment procedures through the Decatur County Schools website and social channels in early April. For the families of the county's youngest learners, registering now is the only way to secure a seat before fall placements are filled.