Decatur County Schools names Andrew Swortzel as Riverside band and choir teacher

Decatur County Schools named Andrew Swortzel as Riverside High School’s new band and choir teacher, a hire that puts one educator at the center of the school’s music program as the 2026-27 year approaches. The district introduced Swortzel in its July 9 summer live feed, and Riverside Principal Amanda Keeton said the school was excited to bring him on board.

Swortzel arrived in Decatur County from Bolivar Central High School. The district said he earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University, training that combines performance and classroom instruction for students learning both musicianship and discipline.

At Riverside, the role carries outsized weight in a small school system. One band and choir teacher can affect pep band energy, marching-season preparation, choir participation, fine arts enrollment and the larger identity students and families attach to school events. For a county where school programs are closely tied to community pride, the music room often becomes one of the most visible parts of campus life.

Keeton said Riverside was thrilled to add Swortzel because of his passion for music education, his commitment to students and his interest in carrying forward the school’s band tradition. That welcome signaled more than a routine staffing move: it pointed to an effort to keep the program strong with a teacher who already has both secondary-school experience and formal music education training.

The hiring also came during the heart of summer, when districts across the county are filling key positions and preparing students for the first bell. Decatur County Schools has used its summer communications to focus on staffing, registration and readiness, and the Swortzel announcement fit that pattern. For Riverside, the timing gives the school a full stretch of summer to build around its new music teacher before students return and rehearsal schedules begin to fill the calendar.