Board named a Board of Distinction; CMS wins TSBA design award

The Tipton County Board of Education came home from the Tennessee School Boards Association’s annual convention with two statewide honors, one for the board itself and one for the design of Covington Middle School.

TSBA named the board a Board of Distinction and presented it the 2026 School of the Year for Excellence in Architectural Design in the middle school category, in recognition of Covington Middle School. The design award is shared with A2H Engineers, Architects and Planners, the firm that designed the building.

The award caps a nearly three-year rebuild. An EF-3 tornado that struck Covington on March 31, 2023, destroyed Crestview Elementary and Crestview Middle. Students spent the following school years in temporary buildings at Cobb Parr Park while the schools were being rebuilt.

A2H designed the replacement as a single large building, with Covington Elementary on one side and Covington Middle on the other. FEMA grants totaling more than $28 million helped pay for the project, including about $17.3 million to replace Crestview Middle, and insurance covered about $10.3 million more for the middle school.

Officials cut the ribbon on Dec. 16, 2025, and students moved into the new building when they returned from winter break on Jan. 6, 2026. Covington Middle, led by Principal Dr. Marty Price, serves sixth through eighth grades.

TSBA hands out its School of the Year awards each year for new elementary, middle and high schools and for renovation projects. Entries are judged on cost efficiency, appearance, energy-conscious and environmentally conscious design, flexibility for future expansion, and how well the site is laid out and used.

The Board of Distinction is TSBA’s top recognition for a school board as a whole rather than individual members. Tipton County is one of 29 boards statewide currently holding the title, according to TSBA.

To qualify, a board must complete a 15-item checklist covering planning, policy, promotion and board development within a three-year period. Requirements include a board retreat of at least seven hours, a superintendent evaluation, an updated strategic plan, an annual review of the full policy manual and a board self-evaluation. A majority of the board must attend TSBA’s fall district meeting and annual convention, and each member must attend at least 75% of board meetings. The designation lasts three years before a board must reapply.

In a Facebook post, Tipton County Schools said the recognitions reflect “the dedication, vision, and commitment to providing exceptional learning environments for our students and community.”

County Executive Billy Daugherty also shared the news, crediting board members, teachers and staff and writing that “it is our people who truly build a culture of excellence.”