District News

In March, we announced that our very own Marcia Sharp and Lynn Kearney were finalist for the WKU Distinguished Educator and Administrator Award. That in itself is such a huge accomplishment. We are excited to announce that today Marcia Sharp, 4th Grade Science Teacher at CES, won the Elementary category for the entire state!! We are beyond excited for Mrs. Sharp and SO THANKFUL that we can call her an Eagle!! Marcia Sharp has been teaching students for 50 years!!! Thank you to WKU for creating a program that recognizes so many amazing teachers across the state. Thank you Marcia Sharp for your commitment to our students and our district. We are so blessed for so many amazing teachers in our schools.

At the April 2025 board meeting we had the opportunity to present Mrs. Jan Speer the Changing Lives Award. Mrs. Speer has been with this district for many years and actually retired last Spring, but her love for the students has brought her back and we are so thankful for her and her love for this district!

We are so excited to announce that our own Missy Hughes is a finalist of the 2025 Fred Award!

The Fred Award celebrates the unsung heroes of our public schools—the dedicated support staff who are the heartbeat of our school communities. Proudly presented by KASA, in collaboration with author Mark Sanborn and American Fidelity, this year’s program extends its reach to 54 school districts whose Freds have been honored statewide.

A cherished tradition among KASA members, the Fred Award Program annually invites nominations from districts across the commonwealth. Inspired by the story of Fred Shea, immortalized in Mark Sanborn’s bestselling book, The Fred Factor, the award honors non-administrative staff whose exceptional contributions create an environment conducive to learning and growth within their school communities. Finalists for this prestigious accolade embody four guiding principles: makes a positive difference each day; has a heart for people; changes ordinary moments into memorable ones; and leads by example.

“Freds represent the heart and soul of public education. They exemplify selflessness and unwavering dedication,” said Dr. Rhonda Caldwell, KASA Chief Executive Officer. “Their impact is foundational to the classroom—they inspire, uplift, and foster a culture of belonging. These individuals make every student feel seen and valued, often without recognition, but their legacy of kindness and leadership is immeasurable.”

Each finalist’s district will be visited by a film crew to capture the essence of their service. These videos will aid the judging panel—a consortium of education leaders from districts statewide—in selecting the recipient of the prestigious statewide award. The winner will be unveiled on July 25 at KASA’s annual leadership institute in Louisville. Both the winner and finalists will be honored with a distinguished marble plaque, a copy of The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn, complimentary accommodation at the Galt House Hotel, and a financial award of $1,000 (winner) or $500 (finalists).

Melissa Hughes, Secretary, Campbellsville Independent Schools

Melissa “Missy” Hughes is the soul of Campbellsville Independent Schools, serving with unmatched dedication for nearly two decades as secretary at both Campbellsville High

School and the district’s Board of Education. A proud alumna, Missy is more than an employee—she’s family to every student and staff member, often called “Mimi” for the love and care she pours into others. Whether opening her home to a student in crisis or making a birthday extra special, she goes above and beyond with compassion and faith. Missy lives out the district’s motto, Changing Lives, and her quiet, consistent acts of kindness have impacted countless lives. Her joyful spirit, generosity, and servant leadership define who she is, making her a guiding light and an irreplaceable part of the school community.

Campbellsville Independent Schools held the groundbreaking of our new Hamilton Auditorium, Band Hall and classrooms on April 18, 2025. The construction will begin in June and we look forward to creating new spaces for our students.

Campbellsville Middle School had the opportunity to have an official ribbon cutting ceremony with local and state dignitaries. We are so truly thankful for EVERYONE who has made this new middle school a reality. THANK YOU to all of those who attended the ribbon cutting and for your support for our school.

The Eagle Baseball team advances to the All A State Tournament after defeating Louisville Holy Cross 9-1. The All A State Tournament will be hosted in Owensboro and the Eagles will play Raceland next Saturday, April 16th, 2025.

We want to give a big congratulations to Caselynn Brown on signing to play basketball at Brescia University next year!! We can't wait to see you soar at the next level!! Way to go Caselynn!

The brand new CMS opened this week and students are now having class in the new building. We have been looking forward to this day for such a long time!! The students were in awe when they entered the building and the excitement is buzzing from the students, to teachers and the administration!! Everything just felt right this morning and we can't thank everyone who played a role in making this dream a reality. Thank you Superintendent Smith and the CISD School Board Members for your vision and countless hours of hard work to make this happen. There are SO MANY people to thank and recognize but we will do that when we host our open house next month. Don't worry, you will be able to get inside the building very soon and tour the facility. Full details will be coming soon but we will have a ribbon cutting on April 18th and an Open House for the community on April 19th.

Mrs. Tammy Wilson received the Changing Lives Award at the March Board Meeting. Mrs. Wilson is the Assistant Principal at CHS and has been in education for 31 years. Thank you Mrs. Wilson for your dedication to this district and for your commitment to these students and staff!

Congratulations to Emma Gipson, 4th Grade iEagle Student, on winning the Jim Claypool Conservation Art contest for Area 4!! The theme was "Protecting the Forest Together" and this was to help students learn more about the importance of forestry and forest health in Kentucky. This year the Jim Claypool Art contest received 32,000 entries in 81 counties.

During the February CISD Board Meeting Mrs. Lisa Mardis received the Changing Lives Award. Congratulations Mrs. Mardis!

Mrs. Misty Matney of Campbellsville Elementary received the February Changing Lives Award during the February CISD Board Meeting. Congratulations Mrs. Matney!

We are excited to announce the Campbellsville Elementary Perfect Attendance, All A Honor Roll and the All A/B Honor Roll for the Second Term! Great job to all of the students who have been recognized for their achievements!!

Term 2 || Kindergarten

Perfect Attendance

Kennedy Bright
Allison Daffron
Zackariah Day
Everett Dillon
Akayah Duncan
Owen Harvey
Lizzie Marcum
Jamie Mardis
Lincoln Pedigo
Elijah Shipp
Devin Simkins
Payton Smith
Azaryah Tyler
Karmaa Webster
Landyn Wethington
Amiyah Wright

Term 2 || 1st Grade

Perfect Attendance

Nolan Bahn
Enzley Calhoun
Braylon Harris
Dakota Huffman
Luke Johnson
Chanler Lamer
Lyndon Martinez
Roxy McKinney
Henry Miheso
Abigail Parrish
Eleanor Rainwater
Killian Shearer
Jacob Shipp
Ben Smith
Xavier Thomas
Cayden Wiser

Term 2 || 2nd Grade

Perfect Attendance

Elliott Brents
Wyatt Cummins
Addison Garrett
Major Groves
Jayden Jones
Nevaeh Jones
Rayna Karr
Avery Marcum
Barrett Neagle
Tate Newton
Kennedy Ridner
Georgia Rucker
Katherine Sandidge
Brantley Scott
Kashmere Smith
Samuel Smith
Evelyn Weddle
Hayden Wright

Term 2 || 3rd Grade

Perfect Attendance

Kelsey Clark
Aria Coombs
Hunter Ferrill
Derrick Gaddie
Tatum Johnson
Camden Lamer
Alyvia Lutz
Emmalyn Robertson
JaQuevia Tonge
Jaziah Turner
Travon Williams

A Honor Roll

Avery Dicken
Gracelynn Morgan
Jiya Patel
Emmalyn Robertson
Xachary Sigurbjartsson
Gracie Spalding
Wesley Spangler
A/B Honor Roll
Zoey Bowlds
Karter Brown
Kelsey Clark
Kalaya Coppage
Jaidyn Cornish
Andrew Cross
Kairi Dahlquist
Hunter Ferrill
Emelia Hoffman
Ariana Johnson
Olivia Lopez
Arabellah Nunez
Djoser Owens
Karlee Routt
DeAndre Smith
Kylin Suratt
JaQuevia Tonge
Sean Waldren
Xander Wiser

Term 2 || 4th Grade

Perfect Attendance

Tobias Boyd
Levi Brewer
Kaydence Combs
Aven Cox
Maddox Creason
Alec Day
Micah Dickens
Adalynn Ford
Ganivea Gaddie
Kingsli Hatfield
Serenity Johnson
Max Mackie
Atticus McMahan
Tytus McMahan
Jamil Owens
Bentlee Scott

A Honor Roll

Alex Brents
Maddox Creason
Kaysen Edwards
Audrey Weddle

A/B Honor Roll

Ellizabeth Biggs
Landon Brewer
Jordan Burton
Jocelyn Collings
Kaydence Combs
Micah Dickens
Manny Dolley
Ella Powers
Brody Rucker
Wyatt Webb

Term 2 || 5th Grade

Perfect Attendance

John Begley
Madison Burress
William Green
Cassiel Malone
Trezdyn Tonge

A Honor Roll

Sadie Allen
Shanika Blakeman
Brian Daniels
Ayana Flores
Gavin Hancock
Eli Harvey
Kaiden Keeling
Cassiel Malone
Carter McDaniel
Autumn Newman
Alexis Pilkington
Kimberly Spurling
Mariah Williams

A/B Honor Roll

Acen Alexander
John Begley
Lilly Bowlds
Madison Burress
Chloe Clemons
Wyatt Cox
Maeson Curtsinger
Jazlynn Davidson
Apollo Embry
Dekklen Hall
Raylan Hall
Keedlyn Harvey
Darian Hite
Aiassa Hoagland
Cheyenne Holley
Eli Howard
Natalie Johnson
Madison Jones
Cayden Lamer
Joshua Laytart
Alleyah Lishman
Mariah Martin
Noelan McMahan
Reina Miles
Deovion Miller
Tiago Moura
Isaac Porter
Callie Reinhart
Dehren Rinesmith
Gryffin Sexton
Lukas Shofner
Cataleya Smith
Cole Stargel
Calvin Stratton
Modesty Taylor
Ryder Terry
Kemani Thompson
Tylan Torrence
Zayden Walker
Robert White
Kaydence Woolridge

Congratulations to Braxton Rhodes on being name the 2025 Junior Beta Kentucky State Vice President! Braxton is the fourth consecutive Kentucky State Vice President from Campbellsville Middle School replacing Remi Petett (residing State & National VP) and will go to Beta Nationals in June at Orlando, Florida and run for Beta National Vice President.

At the recent Campbellsville and Taylor County Annual Banquet, Laura Dicken of Campbellsville Elementary School was the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award!

Laura Dicken is a first grade teacher at Campbellsville Elementary with 28 years of teaching experience. She graduated from Campbellsville College in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and has been employed with the Campbellsville Independent School District ever since. She obtained her Master's degree in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Reading and Writing from Western Kentucky University in 2000. In 2005, she achieved National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, then completed the Maintenance of Certification process in 2015. She is currently working toward the required recertification for 2025. In 2024, Mrs. Dicken completed Language Essentials for teachers of Reading and Spelling, a comprehensive two year course to improve literacy pedagogy and therefore increase student achievement.

She has been honored to be selected for the Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching Award in both 2001 and 2018.

Mrs Dicken has been married to her husband, Richard, for 29 years. Together, they have three children—Abbie, Jake, and Levi—and a daughter-in-law, Julianna (Jake).

The CMS Jr. Beta Club returned home from the annual Kentucky State Beta Conference with so many great memories and some new hardware! We are so proud of all of our students for their hard work preparing for this week of competitions. We also want to thank our Beta Club Sponsors and chaperones for their dedication to our students. Our District had an amazing showing and below are the awards and achievements we brought home to Campbellsville today!! Way to go EAGLES!!

CMS Award Recipients

Presiding KY State & National Vice-President || Remi Petett
Newly Elected KY State President || Braxton Rhodes

• 1st Place State Champion || Digital Portfolio || Blakely Gray, Ava Muncie and Club
• 2nd Place || US History 8th Grade || Chase Milby
• 2nd Place || Spelling 8th Grade || Aubreigh Knifley
• 2nd Place || Computer Science 7th || Arpan Shah
• 2nd Place || Apparel Design || Alex Dillon and Club
• 2nd Place || Scrapbook || Gaby Tate, Ava Muncie, Ava Sterbenz, Maddie Call, Lucy Wayne, Matilyn Thompson and Lainey Cook
• 2nd Place || Technology || Addison Smith, Ava Muncie, Marilyn Thompson, Owen Thompson, DeVonte Noyola, Rylee Allen and Lainey Thompson
• 3rd Place || Painting || Keeley Lawler
• 3rd Place || Health + PE 8th Grade || Ben Grubesic
• 3rd Place || Accessorized Design || Allana Giles
• 3rd Place || Service Learning Showcase || Daya Griffin, Addy Litsey, Lilly Harris, Lylah Davis and Zaylin Webb
• 4th Place || Onsite Art || Painting || Keeley Lawler
• 5th Place || SDT Variety || Kaye Underwood
• 5th Place || Social Studies 8th Grade || Calii Milby
• 5th Place || Marketing & Communications || Grant Howard, Landry Brown, Ayden Stagner

Premier Performers || Kaye Underwood & Alex Dillon

The CES Beta Club returned home from the annual Kentucky State Beta Conference with so many great memories and some new hardware! We are so proud of all of our students for their hard work preparing for this week of competitions. We also want to thank our Beta Club Sponsors and chaperones for their dedication to our students. Our District had a great showing and below are the awards and achievements we brought home to Campbellsville today!! Way to go EAGLES!!

CES Award Recipients

• Presiding Elementary KY State & National President || DeVonte Noyola

• 1st Place || Campaign Skit State Champion || CES Beta Club Members

• 2nd Place || Club Trading Pin || Trey Burwash, Jamil Owens, Elijah Richerson

• 2nd Place || Engineering || Dalton Malone, Willa Thompson, JJ Goodin , Donovan Gray, Jesse Shofner,

• 5th Place || Language Arts || Emma Gipson

• 5th Place || Sculpture || Donovan Gray

• National Anthem || Caynan Bradshaw

• Premier Performer Golden Ticket || Audrey Weddle

The CHS Visual Arts Class, led by Mrs. Jo Ann Harris, presented their first exhibit of the year titled Inside Out Project. These students presented their portrait photographs at Primrose on Main Street and created an excellent atmosphere. This event has become a much anticipated annual event.

The fourth CHS Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet was held December 14, 2024. Congratulations to all of the Class of 2024 inductees!! 🦅💜💛

Barry Bertram || 1953
Phil Gowdy || 1967
Jim Cox || 1973
Craig Beard || 1975
Michael McCubbin || 2009
Aaron Schwoebel || 2010
Kelsi Feltner || 2012
Katie Wilkerson || Contributor Recipient
Ginger Colvin || Coach Recipient
Sam Wickliffe || Coach Recipient
2000 4 x 400 Relay Team || Team Recipient

In December, Campbellsville FFA gathered items for the families affected by the North Carolina flood. With the help of Zion Separate Baptist Church, Benham Farms in Meade County, and other local individuals, we were able to donate 21 bicycles, 15 rolls of hay, toys, and gift cards.

Kindergarten
Perfect Attendance
Ella Gipson
Adan Gomez
Bella Gowdy
Hazel Harris
Owen Harvey
Nolan Jessie
Lincoln Pedigo
Devin Simkins
Mason Wright

1st Grade
Perfect Attendance
Nathaniel Grubesic
Braylon Harris
Phoenix Hitchcock
Adelaide Humphress
Roxy McKinney
Henry Miheso
Jacob Shipp
DaVarreo Tonge
Thea Tungate

2nd Grade
Perfect Attendance
Carter Holmes
Jayden Jones
Nevaeh Jones
Rayna Karr
Tyler Lutz
Jasey Montgomery
Elyas Owens
Tanner Phillips
Georgia Rucker
Remedy Schmucker
Brantley Scott
Tiago Scrivener
Kash Smith
Xander Ward
Evelyn Weddle
Hayden Wright

Term 1 || 3rd Grade
Perfect Attendance
Madison Caldwell
Noah Grapevine
Ella Gusler
Sadie Hunt
Tatum Johnson
Letty Lopez
Olivia Lopez
Alyvia Lutz
Karlee Route
Elijah Schmucker
JaQuevia Tonge
Jaziah Turner
David Varney

A Honor Roll
Wesley Spangler
Adelina Underwood
Avery Dicken
Djoser Owens
Emmalyn Robertson
Xachary Sigurbjartsson

A/B Honor Roll
Brooklyn Keeling
Avah Perkins
Gracie Spalding
JaQuevia Tonge
Zoey Bowlds
Madison Caldwell
Kalaya Coppage
Sean Waldren
Cade Allen
Emelia Hoffman
Ariana Johnson
Jiya Patel
DeAndre Smith
Kylin Suratt
Aleeah Tompkins

Term 1 || 4th Grade
Perfect Attendance
Skyler Bray
Landon Brewer
Jocelyn Collings
Maddox Creason
Jordyn Garrett
Serenity Johnson
Atticus McMahan
Tytus McMahan
Noah Novak
Bentlee Scott
Liam Smith
Easton Taylor
Ace Turner

A Honor Roll
Alex Brents
Jocelyn Collings
Kaydence Coombs
Kaysen Edwards
Kenleigh Rich
Audrey Weddle

A/B Honor Roll
Levi Brewer
Kaydreona Compton
Maddox Creason
Gabby Hicks
Ella Powers
Caleb Rainwater
Brody Rucker
Jordan Burton
Atticus McMahan
Dia’Monte Simmons
Malaysia Thomas
Elizabeth Biggs
Joanna Coots
Emori Ann Diamond
Micah Dickens
Allie Harvey
Noah Novak
Bentlee Scott

Term 1 || 5th Grade
Perfect Attendance
John Begley
Madison Burress
Ky’Re Crider
Brian Daniels
Ayana Flores
Anthony Graves
William Green
Dekklen Hall
Cassiel Malone
Reina Miles
Robert White

A Honor Roll
Lilly Bowlds
Wyatt Cox
Apollo Embry
William Green
Keedlyn Harvey
Cassiel Malone
Modesty Taylor
Kaydence Wooldridge
Acen Alexander
Shanika Blakeman
Ziah Boggs
Devin Cox
Brian Daniels
Ayana Flores
Eli Harvey
Carter McDaniel
Kimberly Spurling
Zayden Walker
Sadie Allen
Aiassa Hoagland
Autumn Newman
Callie Reinhart
Calvin Stratton

A/B Honor Roll
Ky’Re Crider
Jazlynn Davidson
Ethan Fowler
Dekklen Hall
Cheyenne Holley
Cayden Lamer
Landon Mann
Tiago Moura
Dehren Rinesmith
Lukas Shofner
Nyla Smith
Cole Stargel
Kemani Thompson
Tylan Torrence
Raylan Hall
Maeson Curtsinger
Gavin Hancock
Eli Howard
Natalie Johnson
Joshua Laytart
Skylar Osinger
Aubree Passmore
Larry Schmucker
Cataleya Smith
Ryder Terry
Mariah Williams
John Begley
Madison Burress
Chloe Clemons
Anthony Graves
Darian Hite
Alleyah Lishman
Noelan McMahan
Reina Miles
Deovion Miller
Alexis Pilkington
Gryffin Sexton

The Campbellsville High School Football team defeated Newport Central Catholic on Friday, November 22 to win their second Class A Region Title in two years. This is the 6th Region Title in school history. The team faced off against Sayre on November 29 in the Semi-Finals but came up short this year to extend their season to Kroger Field for a chance to play for a championship.

Mrs. Debbie Foley of the Campbellsville Elementary Food Service Department was recognized and received the Changing Lives Award for the month of November. Mrs. Foley has been working in the Food Service Department for 28, years and keeps the kiddos fed and loves on the children with a smile daily!! Thank you Mrs. Foley for your service and dedication to our district!!

At the November Board Meeting, Mr. Smith and the Board, recognized Wyatt Smith and Baylee Pike for their hard work this Cross Country season and qualifying for state this year. Great job to both runners and thank you for representing the Eagles this year as two of our top Cross Country runners!!

We are so excited about getting our new Driver's Ed Class launched and now we have our vehicle to do so! We want to give a big shout out to Jonathan Mills of Mills Motor Sales here in Campbellsville for his partnership in getting the vehicle for the students. Be on the look out for the Campbellsville Driver's Ed car next time you hit the road!

**We are working on finalizing some details for the course but information will be sent home with your student in the near future.**

At the October board meeting Mrs. Tracey Rinehart received the Changing Lives Award! Mrs. Rinehart teaches in the 3rd/4th Grade iEagle Class and has been in education for 27 years! Congratulations and we look forward to many more!!

Campbellsville Elementary Third Grade students received a gift from Amazon. Each student now has their very own copy of "The One and Only Ivan" thanks to Amazon! Thank you Amazon for supporting our students can Campbellsville Elementary School.

We are so excited to announce the date for the 2024 Eagle Family Night, October 18th! The night will consist of a FREE Chili OR Hot dog meal (including chips, drink & dessert), inflatables, giveaways, Eagle Football game and CHS Homecoming. We hope that all of our Eagle Families will come out and join us for this exciting night at our school district. All Eagle fans will also receive FREE admission to the football game against District Rival Louisville Holy Cross. Below is a breakdown of times and events.

Family Night || October 18, 2024 || 5:30 - 6:45 (CMS/CHS Cafeteria & CHS Gym)

* Chili OR Hot Dog Supper including chips, drink & dessert

* Inflatables in Gym

* Giveaways

* Free T-shirt with completion of short district survey (while supplies last)

Enter through the back of CHS.

Football Kickoff vs Louisville Holy Cross || 7:30 (Dave Fryer Field)

* Free Admission to all Eagle Families

* Football and Band Senior Night immediately before the game

* Homecoming Festivities during Halftime of the game

Mrs. Kim Richerson received the September Changing Lives Award. Mrs. Richarson works in the front office of Campbellsville Elementary School and does an AMAZING job!! Kim is in her second year at CES and we are so proud to call her an Eagle!!

Campbellsville Independent Schools received $18,000 this year from WHAS Crusade for Children. We would like to thank everyone who donated to the Crusade and the many volunteers that make this possible.

The money received will be used for adaptive, motor and sensory items. Requested items also include academic curriculum for our Speech program, MSD and preschool classrooms. We will also begin adding portable touch panels for our co-teaching classrooms.

During the May board meeting we had the opportunity to present Mrs. Laura Burwash with Changing Lives award. Mrs. Burwash has built the new JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) program from the ground up in her first year at CHS. Mrs. Burwash has done an amazing job getting students into the community and showing them opportunities that exist after high school. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this program!!

Congratulations to Callie Durham on making Roger Scholars this summer!! Rogers Scholars is a week-long youth leadership program for rising high school juniors throughout Eastern Kentucky. Students spend a week where they will live and learn on a college campus during the summer between their sophomore and junior year. Additionally, Scholars are eligible to apply for exclusive college scholarships at 19 universities.

CHS Senior Kayden Birdwell has been contracted to march with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps! This is the major leagues for the marching arts. He has spent the last few months traveling to Atlanta, Georgia auditioning against musicians from across the globe for a spot with this esteemed group. He received word last night that he was granted a contract with them!! He will spend the summer traveling across the country performing in sold out stadiums and working with the top names in the industry. It is a chance of a lifetime for a musician.

We would like to congratulate CHS students Caleb Frank and Wyatt Smith on being selected to the 2024 Governor’s Scholars Program! Luke Durham and Ellie Wise have been selected as an alternate for the program. We also want to congratulate Ivy Lawler on being selected as an alternate for Governor Scholars of the Arts.

On Friday, April 27, 2024, former CHS Alumni Class of 2020, Malachi Corley was drafted (65th overall) to the NFL by the New York Jets. Corley is the first person from Campbellsville High School to be drafted to the NFL. Corley was a 2 sport standout athlete at CHS and continued his football career for Western Kentucky University. Corley was recruited to play cornerback at Western Kentucky, but was moved to wide receiver during preseason practices. Corley appeared in 49 games with 32 starts over his four seasons with the Hilltoppers. He totaled 3,033 yards and 29 touchdowns on 259 receptions during that period – an average of 61.9 yards per game over the 49 games. Corley broke the program's career receptions record in the 2023 regular-season finale, and finished second in program history in touchdown receptions, and third in receiving yards. He started all 12 games in which he appeared in 2023 and finished the season with 984 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions. He had at least four catches in each game he played in 2023, and posted at least one touchdown reception in eight of his 12 appearances. Corley was named to the 2023 All-CUSA First Team by the league’s head coaches – the second straight season he received First Team honors. Corley was invited to the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, as well as the Reese's Senior Bowl, where he was named the top wide receiver on the National Team by defensive back teammates during practice for the event.

Farrah Hord, CES Reading Intervention Teacher, was presented with the Changing Lives Award at the April Board Meeting Monday night. Mrs. Hord has been with the district for 24 years and was nominated for this award by her peers. Mrs. Hord has a passion for these students and it shows daily. Thank you Farrah for your dedication to these students and for being the helping hand when students are in need.

Friday, April 12th, was a special day at CES as we surprised Coach Lynn Kearney by showing our support of Limb Loss Awareness month by going to the track to walk in his honor. The weather didn't cooperate, so most went to the gym to finish our celebration! We are so appreciative of Coach Kearney and what he means to our district, but also, for how he has shown us all what it means to persevere and to overcome obstacles.

With over 22 years of experience in education, Jessica McCubbin will begin her tenure as the new Campbellsville Elementary principal on July 1st. She has been in administration for the last 8 years, with her most recent position being in the Marion County school district as the principal of Glasscock Elementary. Before that, she was the assistant principal of Taylor County Intermediate School for 7 years, with 5 of those years simultaneously being the assistant principal for a second school, Taylor County Primary Center.

Mrs. McCubbin holds a Bachelor's Degree from Campbellsville University in 5-9 middle grades education with mathematics and English communications emphasis areas. She also has a Master's Degree from Eastern Kentucky University in Instructional Leadership, as well as an Educational Specialist degree from the University of the Cumberlands in Instructional Supervision.

Before taking on administrative roles, she previously taught 8th-grade pre-algebra, Algebra I, and ELA for 11 1/2 years at Campbellsville and then Taylor County Middle School. She was the recipient of the Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006, and she was a top 24 finalist for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year award in 2014.

After creating a blended learning environment in her classroom in 2012, she was promoted as a district Technology Integration Specialist in 2013 to assist other teachers in integrating technology into their classrooms. In 2014, she was given the opportunity through the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative, Race to the Top grant, to share her knowledge of personalized learning by being a Cognitive Coach. Through this role, she worked with teacher leaders across the state of Kentucky as they created and implemented action plans of innovative, personalized learning strategies. She stayed in this role until she went into administration in 2016.

Mrs. McCubbin and her husband, Barry, live in Campbellsville with their two children, Peyton, 20, and Jaxon, 16.

CHS recognized Coach Blake Milby on his 100th career win as the CHS Head Baseball Coach during the Taylor County vs Campbellsville Baseball Game!! Coach Milby achieved this milestone on March 12th against Bardstown Bethlehem. CONGRATULATIONS Coach Milby on your 100th win and we look forward to seeing how many more are to come!! Thank you for your commitment and dedication to this Baseball Program and to these young men!! 

During the March CISD Board Meeting we presented the monthly Changing Lives award to the 3 recipients of the CU Excellence in Teaching. Those recipients this year are from CES Maranda Wright, CMS Bradley Harris and CHS Mallory Arnett. Each of these are perfect for the award!

The CISD Board Members and staff had the honor to do something really special for a former eagle. James Ray Johnson, currently 95 years old, attended Campbellsville Schools in the 1940's and was unable to finish his high school education due to his father passing and having to get a job to help support his family. Mr. Johnson had to drop out of school and began working at Tennessee Gas at age 17 and did so for 38 years. CISD was able to award Mr. Johnson his high school diploma from CHS! Congratulations to Mr. James Ray Johnson!!

We are excited to announce that the 2024 5th Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame inductee is Coach Tim Davis!! Thank you Coach Davis for your commitment to our district!!

Tim Davis coached high school basketball in Central Kentucky for four decades, beginning his head coaching career at Marion County High School in 1983 and held that position for twelve years, before moving to Campbellsville High School in 1995/96. During his tenure at Marion County, Davis won 215 games and lost 136. His teams won 4 district titles, finished as district runner-up four times, and reached the 5th region finals three times, winning titles in 1992 and 1993. The 1993 Marion County Knights finished the year with a 38-2 record, won the prestigious Louisville Invitational Tournament, and captivated the state by winning the Kentucky High School Basketball State Championship. Marion County was the first team from the 5th Region to win the state title.

In 1995/96, Coach Davis took the head boys basketball position at Campbellsville High School, where he coached for the next 24 seasons, before retiring after the 2018/19 season. Davis retired as a special education teacher and has also served for the last fourteen years as Athletic Director. During his tenure as CHS coach, his teams won 386 games and lost 312. The Eagles won eight district championships and three times finished as district runner-ups; they also reached the 5th Region finals twice (1997 and 2010), and won 8 All “A” regional titles. Davis finished his coaching career with a record of 601 wins and 448 losses. His 601 wins currently place him 25th overall in the history of KHSAA basketball.

Coach Davis received numerous awards during his career. He was named 5th Region Coach of the Year four times. In 1993 he was named the Kentucky High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. He also has been voted NHSACA Region 3 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for NHSACA Coach of the Year two times. Coach Davis was named the head coach for the Kentucky All-Stars in 2008 for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game, the longest-running all-star game in the United States, leading Kentucky to a split with Indiana in the two game series. With the win against Indiana in the second game in Louisville, the Kentucky team ended an eight game losing streak against the Hoosiers.

Coach Davis currently serves as an Advisor for the Kentucky High School Coaches Association Executive Committee and has also served two terms as the organization's president. Has been a committee member for 20+ years and also serves as a member of the 5th Region Policy Board, a position he has held for over 20 years and currently is the organization’s treasurer. Coach Davis also serves on the Board for the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association as the 5th region representative, a position held for the last 8 years. He serves on the Board for the All A State Committee as the 5th region representative, a position held for the last 14 years. Coach Davis has been a member of the 5th Region Athletic Directors Association since 2012; serving one term as president. Last, but not least, he has been a member of the 5th Region Basketball Coaches Association for over 25 years, serving as president for 8 years and currently assists as an Advisor for the organization.

Coach Davis has been married to his wife, Joni, for nearly 46 years and they have two children. One son, Ben, and his wife Stephanie, have two children: Cash and Lylah. Jordan, a daughter, is married to John Jessie and they have three sons: Beckett, Nolan, and Sutton.

The Weathers Twins were recently recognized for their accomplishments during their time on the CHS Basketball Team. Keondre Weathers was recognized for his 500th rebound of his CHS career on Februrary 5th against Bardstown Bethlehem while Deondre Weathers was recognized for his 400th career assist on February 3rd against Metcalfe County.

CES 5th grader, Genesis Rivera, was recently announced as the winner of the Campbellsville-Taylor County Grandparent Essay contest, presented by the Taylor County Retired Teachers Association and AARP. As the winner for Campbellsville Elementary and iEagle, Genesis went on to compete against Taylor County, where she won as the overall county winner. Her essay will go on to compete at the district and state levels. Genesis wrote about her grandmother, Miriam.

Pictured with Genesis is the grandparent essay committee and her parents, teacher & principal.

At the February CISD Board Meeting we were honored to recognize Mrs. Ashlee Petett for our Changing Lives Award. Mrs. Petett is a 7th Grade Exceptional Childhood educator at Campbellsville Middle School. Great job Mrs. Petett.

Coach Lynn Kearney, P.E. Teacher at CES, was named Educator of the Year Award from the Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce.

The CMS Jr. Beta Club returned home from the annual Kentucky State Beta Conference today with so many great memories and some new hardware! We are so proud of all of our students for their hard work preparing for this week of competitions. We also want to thank our Beta Club Sponsors and chaperones for their dedication to our students. Our District had an amazing showing and below are the awards and achievements we brought home to Campbellsville today!! Way to go EAGLES!!

CMS Award Recipients

•Remi Petett || KY Jr. Beta VP

•Karsyn Smith || Presiding KY Jr. Beta VP

•Black and White Photo || State Champion || Lillie Judd

•Speech || 3rd Place || Calii Milby

•Club Trading Pin || 2nd Place

•Accessorized Design || 5th Place

•7th Grade Social Studies, 3rd Place || Calii Milby

•6th Grade Language Arts || 2nd Place || Remi Petett

We want to give a HUGE shout out to Superintendent Mr. Kirby Smith on being inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame!! This is a much deserved honor and so to see Mr. Smith recognized for all of his hard work and achievements!!

Coach Smith began his coaching career at his alma mater, Spencer County High School, in 1994. During a 10-year stint as Spencer County’s head coach, he won 143 game, had six district runner-up teams and one district championship. In 2007, Coach Smith was named head baseball coach at Campbellsville High School, a position he held for the next 10 years. During his tenure at CHS, Coach Smith won 186 games, had six consecutive district championships (2008-2013), four 5th Region Semi-finals appearances and a 5th Region runner-up finish (2011). He also led the Eagles to three All-A 5th Region titles in 2007, 2008, and 2016, two Class-A Sectional Championship in 2007 and 2016, and one All-A Final Four appearance.

Coach Smith has sent approximately 20 players to play at the collegiate level, several at the Division-1 level. He served as the KHSBCA Regional Representative while at both schools. In 2017 Coach Smith served on the KHSAA Board of Control. He was instrumental in ensuring that spring sport athletes did not lose any of the 2021 season, following the 2020 COVID closure of all spring sports.

Coach Smith has also served as principal of Campbellsville High School for 8 years, from 2009 to 2017. In 2017, Coach Smith was named Superintendent of Campbellsville Independent School District, a position he still maintains for the district. During his tenure, Mr. Smith has worked on, developed and improved several of the district’s athletic facilities, including the completion of the Durham Athletic Track and Field Complex and the turf project for the district’s baseball/football complex and softball field.

Way to go Mr. Smith and thank you for representing our district in such an awesome way!!

The Campbellsville High School Wrestling Team has a team once again for the first time in over 20 years. CHS was the host for their first home wrestling match and faced off against Green County. We are excited to have Wrestling back in our school once again and can't wait to see how this sport will grow over the next few years! The Wrestling team is led by Coach Andrew Lenz.

Last night at the December Board Meeting we recognized Mr. David Mattingly as being named our December Changing Lives Award recipient. David has been with the district for 3 years and works in the Campbellsville Middle School Cafeteria. Congratulations and thank you David for your dedication to our district!

CHS welcomed home Eagle Alumni Malachi Corley as the Eagles hosted Marion County in district play.

Malachi, the 2019 Class A State Player of the Year, ended his career at CHS with over 2000 yards rushing, over 2300 yards receiving and scored 393 points with 62 touchdowns. He had 269 total tackles and 6 interceptions for his career. Malachi was named 2018 and 2019 Class A District 2 Player of the Year and was named to the to the All-State Honorable Mention Team as a senior. In basketball for the Eagles, he was an All-Region Player and is the second leading scorer in school history with 1708 points. He also finished with 626 rebounds which places him 4th in school history.

Malachi, currently a junior at Western Kentucky University, became the all-time receptions leader in school history with 255 catches for 3009 yards and has scored 29 touchdowns. For his outstanding play, he has been named to Conference USA First Team for the last two years.

Malachi and the Hilltoppers will face Old Dominion in the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Monday, December 18th in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kick-off is at 2:30 and the game will be televised on ESPN. Malachi has also been selected to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on February 3rd in Mobile, Alabama.

We are excited to announce Lane Bottoms as the new CHS Softball Head Coach. Coach Bottoms currently works at Campbellsville Elementary School as the PASS Coach and assists the CMS Football team. Lane is a CHS 2019 Graduate and played football for 3 years at Campbellsville University. Good luck Coach Bottoms on next year’s season.

We are also excited to announce Mrs. Lauren Phillips as the assistant coach and she brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge. Mrs. Phillips teaches Math at Campbellsville High School and assists with the CHS Cross Country Team.

LETS GO EAGLES!!

2023 REGION CHAMPIONS!

On November 17, 2023 the Campbellsville Eagle Football Team defeated Newport Central Catholic 28-23 to capture the 5th Region Championship in program history and earn a spot in the KHSAA Playoff Final Four! Congratulations to Coach Estes, his staff, and the players!

On November 10th, we were honored to host our District-wide Veteran’s Day Celebration once again. We are so thankful for our men and women who have served our country and protected us while putting their lives at risk. Our student-lead ceremony included the Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem by our CHS Band members, Explanation and folding of the American Flag, Military Branch Song by our CIS Choir and finished with a brunch for our Veterans and their families. Veteran’s Day reminds us of how blessed we are as a country and we need to celebrate our Veterans each and every day. Take time to let a Veteran know how much their service means to you and again, thank you Veterans!!

We want to congratulate, Senior, Kayden Birdwell on making a PERFECT 36 on the Reading portion of the most recent ACT test!! AMAZING JOB KAYDEN!!!

Marcia Sharp was the recipient of the November Changing Lives Award! Marcia Sharp is a 4th Grade teacher at Campbellsville Elementary School. Thank you Marcia for your dedication to our students and district!

Dale Estes, CHS Football Head Coach, was named as the Class A, District 2 Coach of the Year for the 2023 Season. 

Konner Forbis, CHS Senior, was named as the Class A, District 2 Player of the Year for the 2023 Season. 

The Eagle Marching Band traveled to Bowling Green Saturday, October 28th to compete in the KMEA Semi-State and then proceed to the KMEA Finals after qualifying with a distinguished rating at the Semi-Finals. After qualifying for the State Finals they proceeded to Western Kentucky University to compete and received 4th Place Overall in Class A.

Today, our new program called JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) held it's program Ribbon Cutting and a wonderful program full of local dignitaries, community members and friends of Campbellsville Independent Schools.

The JAG program is led by Mrs. Laura Burwash here at CHS. The program is designed as a "school-to-work transition program" keeping students in school through graduation and helping them transition in to the work place in quality jobs. These students are experiencing leadership skills, guidance and counseling, accountability and so much more!

We want to thank Mr. Smith and the school board for their continued vision for programs such as JAG at our school. We also want to thank some of our special guests, Max Wise - Ky State Senator, Barry Smith, Taylor County Judge/Executive, Dennis Benningfield - Mayor of Campbellsville, Dr. Jason Miner - Director of Education, JAG Kentucky, and Mr. Tyler Hardy - CHS Principal. We also want to give a huge kudos to CHS Senior, Allison Sumners for being our student speaker from the JAG Program. Finally, thank you Mrs. Burwash for creating such a great learning environment for these students to learn and for being a part of our new JAG Program!!

Campbellsville High School also has other amazing programs that contributed to this ceremony such as the Culinary Program, led by Mrs. Emilie Murrey, who prepared the breakfast and the Agriculture Program, led by Mrs. Erin Arnett, who made the floral arrangements in her Floral Arrangement Class. We are so blessed to be in a district with so many opportunities for our students and now we have one more in JAG!!

Mrs. Jenny Despain was nominated for the Changing Lives Award at the October Board Meeting. Mrs. Despain teaches at CMS and CHS and is in her 3rd year at Campbellsville Independent Schools and 28 years total. Thank you Mrs. Despain for your dedication to our school district!!

The KMEA held their Fourth District Fall Meeting this week with some amazing news for the Campbellsville Independent School District.

Kirby Smith was named the Fourth District Kentucky Music Educators Association Administrator of the Year. Mr. Smith was nominated by Mallory Arnett and voted on by the KMEA Fourth District Educators.

Mr. Smith will be recognized and awarded at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference in February.

Mallory Arnett has been named the Kentucky Music Educators Association Fourth District Middle School Band Chair. Mrs. Arnett currently serves as the KMEA Fourth District Band Division Middle School Band Chair as well as the KMEA Fourth District Band Division Secretary.

Daniel Imes, former Campbellsville Independent Schools band director, was awarded the Citation of Service Award. This award goes to someone who has positively shaped the music education field in our district. Mr. Imes was nominated post-humously by Mallory Arnett who stated in her nomination “Daniel Imes was Band Director at Campbellsville Independent Schools for many years. He helped shape our program as well as helped many young musicians find their start. Outside of our district he worked with Morehead State University to help form future educators and continue to better the music education in our state.”

There are a lot of exciting things happening here at Campbellsville Schools at the district and state level!

CHS was ranked 56th in the state of Kentucky out of 255 high schools and 4,835th out of 17,680 Nationwide!! These rankings are based on College Readiness, College Curriculum, State Assessments and Graduation Rate. We are so proud of what our students and staff are achieving at CHS so take a minute to check out the article.

It's a Great Day to be an Eagle!!

Mrs. Rebecca Tungate was nominated for the Changing Lives Award at the September Board Meeting. Mrs. Tungate works at the CISD Board Office and is in her 11th year at the Board Office and 17th year in the district. Thank you Mrs. Tungate for your dedication to our school district!!

Campbellsville Middle School held their groundbreaking ceremony for the new state-of-the art Middle School in June this past Summer 2023. The demolition has begun and the Eagles are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new facility. The projected completion date is Fall of 2025. In attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony was Board Members Suzanne Wilson (Chairman), Pat Hall, Terry Taylor and Angie Johnson. Kentucky State Representatives Max Wise and Sarge Pollock along with Eagle Staff, Alumni and community members.

Photo Credit: Twentynine Northwest Social 

Congratulations to Dane Gray on being voted Elementary National Vice-President at the National Beta Convention in June! Dane is the first candidate from Campbellsville Elementary to be nominated to office at the State AND National level!! Dane and the rest of the CES Beta worked hard at campaigning and competing during Beta Nationals in Louisville!

Congratulations to Officer Matt Weddle on receiving the Changing Lives Award at the July CISD Board Meeting. Officer Weddle is the School Resource Officer at Campbellsville Elementary School. He is also involved implementing new security protocol’s for our district and he is loved by our students and staff at CES! Thank you Officer Weddle!

The Campbellsville Middle School Track and Field teams finished their season as Boys CKMSAC Champions and the Girls as CKMSAC Runner-up! 

A familiar face will return as the new head boys basketball coach for the Eagles.  CHS named Anthony Epps as the new coach on Tuesday at a press conference held in the high school gymnasium.  After a 2 year stint as an assistant girls coach at Northern Kentucky University, a position he resigned from last fall to take a teaching job in the Covington School District, Epps is returning to Campbellsville.

Epps came to Campbellsville in 2015 were he was the boys assistant coach to then head Coach Tim Davis.  After one season, Coach Epps took over the girl’s basketball program.  In his first year as the Lady Eagle head coach he led the team to an 18-11 record, the first winning season in over 15 years for the Lady Eagles.  For his efforts, Epps was named the 5^th Region Coach of the Year.  The following year Epps led the Lady Eagles to the 20^th District Championship, the program’s first since 2002.

In 2019, Epps was named the head boys basketball coach at CHS.  He led the Eagles to a 15-15 record, a 5^th Region All A Championship and the 20^th District Championship.  After one year as the boys head coach, Epps left for the assistant position at NKU.

Epps has won a KY State Championship as a player (1993) and coach (Marion Co Girls, 2013).   Following a distinguished prep career that included a 1993 KHSAA State Championship for Marion County High School, Epps went on to an exceptional career at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the 1996 NCAA National Championship team and then helped lead the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1997 as a team captain. UK went 124-19 in his four seasons playing in Lexington. Epps still ranks in the top-10 in four different statistical categories for Kentucky, including second all-time in assists (544).

The Campbellsville Middle School Baseball team finished and won their regular season and tournament with a record of 23-0. They defeated Green County Middle School Dragons 8-1 in the Championship Game of the 2023 CKMSAC Tournament. The CMS Eagles will compete in the KY Middle School Semi-State Tournament beginning May 19th held at Lindsey Wilson College.

Remy Brown (7th Grade) was named Tournament MVP.

Last night at the May Board Meeting Campbellsville Independent Schools awarded Coach Tim Davis the Changing Lives Award. This award is much deserved as Coach Davis commits so much time and energy into our athletic program. Coach Davis currently serves as Athletic Director of CISD and was previously the Boys Basketball Head Coach prior to Athletic Director. Coach Davis has been with the district for 28 years and we are so thankful to have him lead our athletic programs! His dedication shows daily as our athletic teams and athletic facilities are second to none! Thank you Coach Davis for your commitment!!

We are so excited to share with you our new Administrative Team at Campbellsville Middle School! We can’t wait to see this team in action beginning next school year!! 🦅💜💛

CMS Principal || Hannah Jones

CMS Assistant Principal || Zach Durham

CMS Guidance Counselor || George Boyd
 

"I am very humbled and honored to accept the position of Campbellsville Middle School Principal. I am excited for this new adventure and look forward to growing, learning and achieving great things together." -Hannah Jones (Principal)

“I am excited to begin this new journey alongside the great staff at Campbellsville Middle School. I look forward to making a difference in the lives of each and every student that walks through our doors! It’s a Great Day to be an Eagle!” -Zach Durham (Assistant Principal)

“I am overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to become the new School Counselor at Campbellsville Middle School. Although I am grateful for my time in the Marion County Public School District, I thank God for allowing me to embark on a new journey (here) in Campbellsville with Campbellsville Independent Schools.” -George Boyd (Guidance Counselor)

We want to congratulate Brianna Dobson on being accepted to the Governor’s School for the Arts. This three week summer program is full of art instruction. Congratulations Brianna on this amazing opportunity!!

We would like to congratulate CHS students Isaac Garrison and Hunter Falls on being selected to the 2023 Governor’s Scholars Program! Karlie Cox has been selected as an alternate for the program. Way to go Eagles!! 🦅

On April 15th we had the honor to recognize the 1971 and 1973 CHS Baseball 5th Region Championship Teams before the All 'A' Sectional Championship game. The day began with a Meet and Greet Tailgate for the teams and then moved to the field for a ceremonial recognition of each player and coach from those teams. The day was wrapped up with a huge victory over Louisville Holy Cross with a score of 14-1 which will send the Eagles to the Class 'A' State Tournament which will be hosted at Campbellsville High School this year on April 29th - 30th. It was a great day to see former Eagles and current Eagles in action. Thank you to all of the members of the 1971 and 1973 teams for coming out! It's a great day to be an Eagle!!

At the April Board Meeting we presented Ms. Sarah Begley the Changing Lives Award. Ms. Begley teaches LBD and MSD in our Special Education classes at Campbellsville Elementary School. Thank you Ms. Begley for your dedication to our school district and our students!!

We are so excited to announce that Jacob DeBrot (CHS Sophomore) has been selected to the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science of Western Kentucky University!! He is one of 99 students selected for this program across the state of Kentucky. This is an AMAZING accomplishment and we are so proud of Jacob and proud to call him an Eagle!! Way to go Jacob!!

----------------------

More about the Gatton Academy:

The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky has selected 99 Kentucky sophomores for the Class of 2025, marking The Gatton Academy’s 18th incoming class.

Applicants were evaluated based on ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, awards and accomplishments, extracurricular activities, responses to essay and short answer questions, and recommendation forms. In addition to these criteria, candidates were invited to interview with WKU faculty members, community leaders from across the Commonwealth, and Gatton Academy alumni.

Students from 46 counties make up the Class of 2025. Among the students accepted include either the third or fourth students accepted in The Gatton Academy’s 15-year history from the following counties: Bourbon, Butler, McLean, and Wayne. Overall, The Gatton Academy has had students attend from 117 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.

The mission of The Gatton Academy is to provide a residential program on the campus of Western Kentucky University for bright, highly motivated Kentucky high school students who have demonstrated interests in pursuing advanced careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students enhance their creativity, curiosity, reasoning ability, and self-discipline through the companionship of peers, university courses, faculty-led research, and study abroad, preparing them for leadership roles in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Moreover, The Gatton Academy assists in preparing Kentucky to compete in a knowledge-based economy by increasing the number of scientists and engineers with ties to the state.

Students will complete their junior and senior years of high school living in Florence Schneider Hall. At the end of their two-year course of study, students will graduate from high school with a minimum of 60 college credit hours.

The Gatton Academy provides a rich living and learning environment designed specifically for academically talented adolescent students that features clubs, organizations, and community service. Additionally, students are able to participate in advanced research with WKU faculty members. Research conducted during students’ time at The Gatton Academy has been honored in the nationally competitive Regeneron Science Talent Search, Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, and published in scientific journals. Study abroad opportunities allow students to participate in global learning experiences in locations such as Costa Rica and England.

The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first state-supported, two-year residential program for high school students with interests in advanced science and math careers and is one of only 15 such programs in the nation. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.

We are excited to announce that CMS 8th Graders, Tye Rhodes and Aiden Wilson have been selected for the Rogers Explorers program from our county. The program allows the boys to experience a 2 night 3 day leadership event at one of five universities that they choose.

Also, Tye Rhodes has placed as a top 20 finalist in the region for his civics essay. This will allow him to compete in the next round on April 29th at Campbellsville University.

We are so proud of both of these boys and wish them both luck in the upcoming events that they are attending!!

At the March Board Meeting we recognized Mr. Brandon Williams with the Changing Lives Award. Brandon is with our custodial staff at Campbellsville Elementary School and is an asset to our district. Thank you Brandon for your hard work and dedication to our school!!

We are excited to announce our 2023 CU Excellence in Teaching Award recipients.

This award is given to teachers who are strengthening the field of education, displays leadership and dedication to the teaching profession. Each school has one person chosen each year and and they are voted on by their peers in our school district. Congratulations to these deserving and outstanding women!!

Campbellsville Elementary School

Leanna Cundiff || 18th year teaching (10 w/CISD) || Currently is the Library Media Specialist at Campbellsville Elementary School and has taught 2nd, 3rd and 6th grades previously

Campbellsville Middle School

Jordyn Burkhead || 4 years teaching at CISD || Teaches 7th and 8th Grade Science || CMS Academic Team Coach

Campbellsville High School

Jenny Despain || 27th Year in Education || B.S. in Elementary Education from CU || Masters in Moderate/Severe Disabilities from WKU || Rank I Educational Leadership from EKU

Saturday, February 18, 2023 CHS hosted Hoop for Breast Cancer, presented by KYWEAR, in honor of our own Tiarra Cecil. It was a really fun day of basketball and showing our support for Ms. Cecil. Thank you to everyone who played, helped plan the event, worked the event, came out to watch and those who sponsored the event. Keep Ms. Cecil in your prayers as she is battling this Cancer and needs our support. We love you Ms. Cecil so let’s beat this together!!

Visit our Facebook page for pictures from the event.

Sponsors:

Kentucky Farm Bureau
Jessie Insurance
Campbellsville First Baptist
McQueary Family Medicine
Chad & Julie Bell
Gaddco
High Maintenance Salon
KYWEAR

Mylee Bell, CHS Freshman, set the single season school record for most 3-point baskets made during the 2023-2024 season. Mylee was recognized on February 17th with a basketball showing this accomplishment from CHS Lady Basketball Coach Kyvin Goodin-Rogers.

At the February CISD Board Meeting Mrs. Katie Campbell was the recipient of the Change Award. Mrs. Campbell is a 7th Grade teacher at iEagle, school bus driver, volunteers with Beta and so many other things at our school. Thank you Mrs. Campbell for investing in our students each day!!

Campbellsville High School recognized the 50th anniversary of the 1973 CHS Boys Basketball Team that won the 5th region tournament and advanced to the Kentucky High School State Tournament. The Cheerleaders from that team were recognized as well. It was a fun night celebrating and reuniting all of these players and cheerleaders.

The following were the players and cheerleaders from that team:

(From the 1973 Picture)

First Row: Cheerleaders Debbie Ferrante, Debra Edwards, Debbie Carroll, Paula McCubbin, Gina Bohanon, Melinda Chastain, Kaye Litchfield

Second Row: Head Coach Jerry Parker, Dee Deener, Tootsie Johnson, Dennis Benningfield, Glenn Vance, Bryon Johnson, Jim Cox, Assistant Coach Danny Davis

Third Row: Jeff Mobley, Ricky Janes, Melvin Mills, Jeff McKinley, Larry Bright, Greg Mobley

Fourth Row: Brad Fain, Bobby Brockman, Ronnie White, David Rice, Chuck Willis

Cayton Lawhorn qualifies for the KHSAA Bowling Tournament that will be held in Louisville, Ky on February 12th. Cayton also received the CKMSAC 8th Grade Player of the Year Award on January 26 while helping the 8th Grade team win the CKMSAC Tournament against Green County.

During the 2023 Kentucky State Beta Convention held in Lexington, Ky Campbellsville Independent Schools had 2 candidates elected as Kentucky State Vice President Elects for the 2023 year. The Elementary Vice President Elect is Dane Gray. Dane is a 4th Grader at Campbellsville Elementary's iEagle Program. The Jr. Beta Vice President is Karsyn Smith who is a 7th Grader at Campbellsville Middle School's iEagle Program. 

Both of these candidates had a campaign speech and skit that was presented during the 2023 Kentucky State Beta Convention and both skits placed top 5 in the state. Dane's Campaign Skit placed second and Karsyn's Campaign Skit placed 4th. Both Dane and Karsyn will be attending the National Beta Convention (Louisville, Ky) in June and will run for National Vice President and both will have their skits accompany them as well. 

Campbellsville also has the presiding 2022 Jr. Beta State and National Vice President 7th Grader Laney Price. Her term will end in June 2022 as the new Vice Presidents assume office.

Visit our Facebook Page to see the Campaign Speeches, skits and so much more from the Ky State Beta Convention.

All three of our Campbellsville Independent Schools competed in the Kentucky State Beta Convention during the week of January 15th - January 20th. All three schools were VERY successful including awards, State VP nominations and State Beta Sponsors. The conference was held in Lexington, Kentucky. The following are all of awards, recognitions and nominations that each school received during the conference. All three schools qualify to attend the National Beta Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in June 2023!

Visit our Facebook Page to see the Campaign Speeches, skits and so much more from the Ky State Beta Convention.

CES Award Recipients
Dane Gray // Kentucky Elementary Beta VP Elect

Paige Cook // Elementary Kentucky State Sponsor
1st Place // Lillian Merriweather // Creative Writing
1st Place // Remi Pettet // Language Arts
1st Place // Grant Howard, Bentley Wilhoite, Owen Thompson, Jackson Williams, Alex Dalton // Club Trading Pin
2nd Place (4th Grade) // Zaylin Johnson // Spanish
2nd Place // Lainey Cook // Sculpture
2nd Place // Remi Pettet // Speech
2nd Place // Campaign Skit
3rd Place // Kaiyden Vancleave // Digital Art
4th Place (4th Grade) // Lucia Oliver // Language Arts
4th Place // Ava Muncie // Pottery
4th Place // Landry Brown, Alex Dalton, Phoenix Lawler, Arpan Shah, and Ayden Stagner // Engineering

CMS Award Recipients
Karsyn Smith // Kentucky Jr. Beta VP Elect

Lainey Price // Presiding Kentucky Beta VP
First Place // CMS Group Talent
First Place // Lilly Coots // Poetry 
First Place // Lilly Coots // Solo, Duo, Trio Vocalist
First Place // Samantha Willis // Science 8th Grade
First Place // Aubrey Allen // Spelling Bee
First Place // Aubrey Allen // Language Arts 6th Grade
Second Place // Kaleigh Wilhoite // B&W Photo
Second Place // Aubrey Novak, Olivia Knoblauch, Delaney Staton // Portfolio
Second Place // Tye Rhodes // Technology
Second Place // Aubrey Allen // Speech
Third Place // Grif Thomas (Not Pic) // Sculpture
Third Place // CMS Campaign Skit 
Fourth Place // Griffin Howard, Cayton Lawhorn, Lanigan Price, Luke Adkins, Chase Milby, Dax Gray // Trading Pin
Fifth Place // Maddie Call, Aubreigh Knifley, Lillie Judd, Calii Milby // Service Learning Showcase
Fifth Place Musicology // Sophia Santos, Aliy Dunn, Tye Rhodes, Jody Mallory
Gold Key Award: CMS + Sponsors 
Premier Performers // Lilly Coots, Sophia Santos, Aliy Dunn, Calii Milby

CHS Award Recipients

1st Place // Hand Drawn Anime Division II // Karlie Cox
2nd Place // Service Learning // Karlie Cox & Angelica Seng
2nd Place // Black & White Photography Division I // Ivy Lawler
3rd Place // Digital Art Division I // Ivy Lawler
3rd Place // Apparel Design // Club Award
4th Place // Color Photography Division II // Blake Settle

During the January Board meeting the virtual walkthrough of the new middle school was revealed. This new building will begin construction in the current location of the existing middle school in the Summer of 2023!! We are so excited to show this sneak peak of what is coming.

Visit our Facebook page to watch the video walkthrough at: https://www.facebook.com/CampbellsvilleIndependentSchools

At the January Board meeting the CISD Board Members were sworn in by Judge Executive Barry Smith. We want to thank our amazing board members for all of their hard work and all they do for our school district! January is also School Board Appreciation Month so we celebrated that with them too!!

Congratulations to the following students on being named to the Campbellsville University Honor Band!! The event will be held on February 24th and 25th. Great Job!!

Zach Akin || Saxophone
Kayden Birdwell || Flute
Conner Rinehart || Euphonium
Allison Sumners || Percussion

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO Deondre Weathers (aka Little Man) on being named Player of the Year in Class A, District 2!! Deondre helped lead the Eagles to a District Championship this year. Great job on an amazing season and we look forward to watching Deondre next year in his Senior year!!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Coach Dale Estes on being named Coach of the Year in Class A, District 2!! Coach Estes became the winningest coach this season with 64+ wins to pass CHS Athletic Hall of Fame Coach Perry Thomas. Coach Estes lead the Eagles to a District Championship and a 7-4 record this year. We Eagles are proud to have you as the leader of our Football Program!!

We are so excited to announce that our own Mrs. JoAnn Harris, CMS/CHS Art Teacher, has been recognized as one of the 2022 Kentucky Art Education Association Art Educators of the Year!! Mrs. Harris is receiving this award for her achievements as Campbellsville Middle School Art Teacher. Each year, the KyAEA members, associates/affiliates and community members nominate the candidates they feel are most deserving of the Art Educator of the year awards sponsored by the organization by providing specific reasoning for each and every nomination written. It is a huge honor to be considered and nominated.

The KyAEA motto is “Leading a child to greatness through art” and each one of these individuals fully embody the epitome of what a solid arts education is meant to be and do for our Kentucky students.

This year the KYAEA Conference was at Northern Kentucky University which provides arts relevant professional development, community building and an opportunity to grow and share ideas with others from around the state. Art Educator of the Year winners were honored at the Awards Gala on Friday evening, October 21st in the NKU Art Galleries alongside their colleagues, friends, families, and administration with handmade metal trophies fabricated by artist and educator, Cayce Davenport.

Way to go Mrs. JoAnn Harris!!!

We want to congratulate Shaiden Calhoun (8th Grade) and Les Colvin (7th Grade) on being named Region Player of the Year by the Middle School Football Association!

We want to give a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our CHS Marching Band on their recent success at the Kentucky Marching Band Championships! The Marching Band competed at Eastern Kentucky University and qualified for the State Finals for the first time in 24 YEARS!!! The Eagles placed 6th in Class 1A and was a nice finish to an amazing Marching Band season. Great job to all of the band members and Mrs. Arnett for all of your hard work each and every week. You all represented Campbellsville Schools in an amazing way and thank you to all of the parents and supporters who have committed so much time to helping these students succeed.

We want to CONGRATULATE the STUDENTS AND TEACHERS on our recently released KSA State Test scores from last Spring. Campbellsville High School ranked #1 in our Region of 16 schools in the KSA State Test!! CHS also ranks in the top 10% in the state of Kentucky with a rank of 22 out of 230 schools!!! Principal Weston Jones and staff celebrated the results with a surprise announcement for the students today. Our students are more than a test score and we always challenge our students to compete in the class room and all walks of life. Thank you so much to the teachers for pushing our students to be the best they can and thank you students for understanding the assignment!! IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE AN EAGLE!!

Campbellsville High School would like to recognize Coach LeeAnn Durham on her 50th career win, which took place on September 29, 2022. Coach Durham has an overall record of 51-35 during her 3 years of coaching the CHS Eagles. She is the winningest Volleyball Coach in Campbellsville High School history and we are so thankful to have her leadership for these young ladies. We can’t wait to see what is in store for our Volleyball program and to celebrate many more wins to come!!

Recently, Coach Dale Estes became the winningest coach in Campbellsville High School history! Coach Estes passed, CHS Hall of Fame, Coach Perry Thomas who had 63 wins during his time as CHS Head Coach. Coach Estes now has 64 wins and counting as the Head Coach of the CHS Eagles. AMAZING JOB Coach Estes - keep those wins coming!!

Coach Estes has also won 2 Class 1A Region Championships as Head Coach of the Eagles (2017 and 2018).

Campbellsville Elementary School is proud to announce that we received the State Recognition of Fidelity of Positive Behavior Inventions and Supports (PBIS) for schools during the 2021-2022 school year! This award was given for our outstanding efforts to improve climate and culture through the implementation of PBIS. Out of 141 schools that applied, CES received the Bronze Recognition award. CES also received a banner and decal through the PBIS program. We hope to add many more decals to our banner in the future. The banner was presented by Karen Bush from KDE and received by Guidance Counselor, Donna White and CES Assistant Principal, Jessica Lile. Great job CES on this award!

On September 28th CMS/CHS FCA participated in annual 'See You at the Pole' in as part of the Global Week of Student Prayer. We had an amazing turnout and heard a great devotion from Coach Kearny. Thank you to everyone who came out on this chilly Fall morning. We hope to see you at the next FCA meeting!

Each year the Homeplace on Green River hosts all third grade students from the county for Food For America. This field trip is filled with hay rides, petting zoos, food tasting and most importantly learning about agriculture and where food comes from that we eat each day. Our Ag/FFA had the opportunity to participate and help these children learn more about all things agriculture.

Recently our faculty and staff showcased their creative talents from photography, paintings, quilts and so many other types of art. This first time event was held at Primrose on Main and turned out to be an amazing evening. Thank you to Mrs. Harris for heading the Pop-Up Art Exhibit and allowing us to display our district's creativity.

iEagle Celebrated Grandparent's Day in a big way. The students baked brownies for the grandparents, created cards and had a little art project when they arrived. Thank you to all of the grandparents for coming and supporting your grandchildren, the turnout was AMAZING. These children really appreciate you and loved showing you around their school. Visit our Facebook Page for more pictures.

CIS Volleyball Feeder Program wrapped up their 6 week Volleyball Camp recently. The girls were visited by the CU Tiger Volleyball team and showed them some of the things they have learned at camp. This camp was for 2nd - 5th Eagle graders who were interested in volleyball. These young ladies learned basic fundamentals of volleyball such as passing, setting, how to play with 6 girls on the court, rotating and just how the game is played in general. Many of these girls have never touched a volleyball but now have developed a love for the game. This is the first year for our volleyball feeder program for the Campbellsville School District and it has been a huge success so far! The camp and feeder program is led by coaches Amber Johnson, Tesa Novak and Shaniqua Cowherd - thank you ladies for your dedication and commitment to these young girls!! We can't wait to see how these ladies develop their skills and hope to see them on the court someday soon!

CHS FFA hosted their First Annual Rodeo and it was a huge success. This was lead by Mrs. Arnett, FFA and Ag teacher, and presented by Taylor County Farm Bureau. The rodeo was a fun time for the community and had a sell out crowd. We look forward to doing it again next year! A HUGE thank you to everyone who attended or helped make this rodeo possible. Visit our Facebook Page for more pictures.

We are excited to announce our friends at iGo Motors will be donating a preowned vehicle ($7,000 value) to one JUNIOR OR SENIOR student at Campbellsville High School this year! The drawing will be held live on the radio at 99.9 The Big Dawg at the end of the school year.

Here’s how to win and increase your chances of winning: If you have perfect attendance your name will go into the drawing 5 times, miss one day and you get 4 chances, miss 2 days you get 3 chances, miss 3 days you get 2 chances and if you are absent 4 days you will get one chance to win. The only absence that will not count against you is a school related function.

NOTE: The winning student may take any $7,000 car on the lot or they can use a $7,000 iGo Motors credit and add to it to purchase a higher amount, while paying the difference at their expense. The car shown in the picture is not the exact car that will be given away, that will depend on what is in stock at the time of the giveaway.

Saturday night, August 13th, the CMS Eagles honored the late, Marlon Hoskins, at the 1st Annual Marlon Hoskins Memorial Kickoff Classic. The event and turnout was great and the Eagles got a win for "Big Marlon", a man who poured his heart into so many football players, coaches and the entire community. Marlon's legacy will live on and we were proud to call him one of our own!!

Coach Milby and the Baseball Program recently sent off the 10U Cal Ripken All-Star team off to the Cal Ripken World Series. The team arrived by police escort from their practice and were greeted by family, friends, alumni and CISD students and staff. It was such a fun night getting to celebrate something no team from our community has ever experienced - represent our community of Campbellsville on the National stage. Good luck boys at the World Series. Thank you to all of our local officials and all-star supporters who came out tonight.

Earlier this Summer we were honored to be host to the First Lady and Governor Beshear’s Christmas in July Event. This event was to give back to the victims who were affected by the tornado that hit Taylor County this past Winter. These victims had their Christmas disrupted and this was a way to give a little Christmas cheer in July!

NOTE: Campbellsville High School was the host for this event but was not responsible for inviting specific families. We simply supported the First Lady and Governor Beshear by giving them a location for the event.

This Summer our Elementary and Middle School Junior BETA Clubs took their talents to Nashville Tennessee to compete at BETA Nationals. Our students did an amazing job and represented Campbellsville Independent Schools very well. Here is the list of awards that were received while at Nationals:

Campbellsville Middle School

State & National Vice President || Lainey Price

Collab Connection || 3rd Place || Dax Gray, Griffin Howard, Karsyn Smith, Tye Rhodes, Lannigan Price, Owen Skaggs & Willow Griffin

Technology || 5th Place || Tye Rhodes

Club Trading Pin || 6th Place || Rowan Petett & Kace Eastridge

Speech || 8th Place || Karsyn Smith

Musicology || Students were hand selected by the National Office to compete in a brand new competition coming next school year

Sophia Santos, Aily Dunn, Connor Coots & Tye Rhodes

---------------------

Campbellsville Elementary School

Sculpture || 4th Place || Grif Thomas

Speech || 6th Place || Aubry Allen

Friday the CISD gathered to close out the school year with our closing day lunch. We gathered to celebrate another amazing year, retirements and enjoyed a great meal! A special thank you to those who worked so hard grilling and preparing the sides for the meal - it was PERFECT!!

We also want to recognize a few of our staff that will be retiring this year. Thank you to these individuals for so many years of commitment and dedication to our school and students. You all have touched so many lives and we are so grateful for you all and glad you chose to be Eagles!!

Katie Wilkerson || 35 Years

Lois Lacy || 28 Years

Ruth Allen || 20 Years

Darlene Burris || 18 Years

THANK YOU!!!

Coach Davis currently serves as an Advisor for the Kentucky High School Coaches Association Executive Committee and has also served two terms as the organization's president. Has been a committee member for 20+ years and also serves as a member of the 5th Region Policy Board, a position he has held for over 20 years and currently is the organization’s treasurer. Coach Davis also serves on the Board for the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association as the 5th region representative, a position held for the last 6 years. He serves on the Board for the All A State Committee as the 5th region representative, a position held for the last 12 years. Coach Davis is a member of the 5th Region Athletic Directors Association since 2012; serving one term as president. Last, but not least, he has been a member of the 5th Region Basketball Coaches Association for over 25 years. Served as president for 8 years and currently serves as an Advisor for the organization.