Decatur County Schools names Amanda Keeton as Riverside High principal

Decatur County Schools has tapped one of its own to lead Riverside High School into the 2026-27 school year, naming Amanda Keeton as principal and signaling continuity at one of the county’s most visible campuses.

Keeton is not new to Riverside or to the people it serves. A Riverside High graduate, she has spent more than 22 years in Decatur County Schools and studied at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Freed-Hardeman University. The district described her as a “true homegrown leader,” a label that fits a career built almost entirely inside the county system.

Her path has reached across the full K-12 spectrum. District information says Keeton taught second and third grades, worked as a school counselor for 14 years, and later moved into administrative leadership. She has served at Decaturville Elementary, Decatur County Middle School and Riverside High School, giving her a broad view of how students move through the system before they reach the high school years that often define college, career and workforce plans.

The staffing change also reflects continuity rather than a reset. As recently as this spring, Decatur County Schools listed Keeton as CTE supervisor in the central office, while Riverside’s staff directory had identified her as assistant principal. That overlap means she already knows the building, the staff and the daily rhythms of the school before taking over as principal.

For Riverside, the first priorities are likely to be the ones that touch students and parents most directly: building schedules, supporting teachers, setting expectations for student behavior and preparing the campus for the start of the next school year. Those decisions shape everything from classroom assignments to communication with families, and they carry extra weight at a school of Riverside’s size, with 457 students listed in the TSSAA directory for 2025-26.

Riverside sits at 4250 Highway 641 South in Decaturville and carries the Panthers and Lady Panthers name in blue and gold. In a school that anchors so much of daily life in Decatur County, the choice of a principal is more than a personnel move. It sets the tone for athletics, academics, fine arts and the parent contact that keeps a rural high school running smoothly.

Director of Schools Melinda Thompson called Keeton a dependable leader who keeps students at the center of her work. Hugh Smith, who serves in personnel, professional development, licensure, safety and instruction, said Keeton is someone the district can count on to do what is best for students and staff. For families heading into 2026-27, that kind of familiar leadership offers a clear message: Riverside is entering the new year with an insider who already knows the school’s strengths, pressures and expectations.