by Matt Wright
“Once a Lion, always a Lion.” That’s been a favorite saying for many in Lakeland and as of today it’s official. For the first time in Lakeland’s history, every student entering a Lakeland school will finish at a Lakeland school. Up until this school year every Lakeland student eventually had to finish school elsewhere since Lakeland did not have a high school. However, the current 8th grade glass will be the first graduating class from Lakeland Prep since the high school opens in August of 2022. That class, and every class behind them, will attend Lakeland schools from Kindergarten thru their senior year in high school, a goal for a large part of the community for many years.
Candice Lindsey’s son Noah is an 8th grader at Lakeland Prep and Mrs. Lindsey is excited that her son will be able to graduate with the friends he’s made since the family moved to Lakeland from Tipton County. “We’re excited because the schools was one of the driving factors in moving to Lakeland. We just love the benefits of a close knit community.”
While school did not start exactly as planned (a mask mandate was issued by the Shelby County Health Department Friday afternoon due to a recent rise in Covid numbers) everyone was making the best of it Monday morning. While the majority of the Lakeland School Board favored letting parents decide on the topic of a mask, many are hopeful it will be temporary. The mask order for K-12 schools in Shelby County is set to expire at the end of the month on August 31st.
Dr. Ted Horrell, Superintendent for Lakeland School System told Lakeland Currents the first day of school was smooth so far, other than the normal first day issues. “We have some bus issues, but that’s normal the first week of school. We will get those corrected,” he said. While mask was not something the schools wanted, he said it didn’t affect the energy this morning. “There’s tons of excitement in the building today. It’s a good first day so far,” he said. Matt Adler, Principal for Lakeland Prep, echoed Dr. Horrell saying, “It’s always exciting to see our students return to school. Our faculty and staff look forward to another year educating our Lakeland students.”
Lakeland parent Mandy Magness said she was excited for another Lakeland school year. As she walked her 3rd grade son Brenner to Lakeland Elementary she said, “We are excited about the new school year!” She added, “I know that LSS will continue to take excellent care of the kids and make the best decisions for staff and children.”
