Dr. Ted Horrell, Lakeland School System’s Superintendent, was recently named the Southwest Tennessee Superintendent of the year. According to a release from the school system, the selection was made by Dr. Horrell’s peer superintendents in the Southwest TN Core District. This makes Dr. Horrell one of eight finalists statewide for the 2021 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Horrell said, “Every single one of my fellow superintendents is equally deserving of this honor for their incredible work this extraordinary year. I’m humbled to have been selected and grateful for the benefit of collaborating with such an outstanding group.”
Dr. Horrell has been the only Superintendent for Lakeland since his hiring in 2014. His work has paid dividends for Lakeland as the elementary school is routinely named the top elementary school in the state of Tennessee and the Middle School is already recognized as one of the top schools in the state. Kevin Floyd, Chairman of the Lakeland School Board praised Dr. Horrell’s work saying, “This honor is well deserved. Dr. Horrell has been crucial to the success of Lakeland School System.”
School Board Member, Debra Thomas, also praised Dr. Horrell telling Lakeland Currents, “I am so proud of Dr. Horrell for being recognized with this award! He has always said that state tests don’t define who our kids are or what they are capable of, but he is at the helm of a school system that consistently gets stellar results. It starts with him; he was the school board’s first (and only) employee. His grasp of the trends in academics has been our guide as we opened the middle school, and his attention to trends in education has influenced how spaces in the high school will be dedicated to helping our kids experiment and discover where their paths will lead from here.”
