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Lisa Norris Named Director of Schools At Clarksburg

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Nine days after the demotion of former Director of Schools Lex Suite in a June 9 school board meeting, the South Carroll Special School District School Board announced Lisa Norris of McKenzie will take the newly-vacant position.

Lisa Norris interviewed for the position June 14 in the old Clarksburg School gym, in front of the school board, a panel of school staff members, and an audience of local residents. Four days later in a called school board meeting Saturday morning, the board discussed the four candidates’ interviews before coming to a decision: Lisa Norris will be the new South Carroll Special School District Director of Schools.

Norris stood out from the other three candidates because of her impressive experience in receiving grants — acquiring a total of $11.5 million throughout her career. Several board members believe she is the best candidate for the job as a fiscal manager, as bringing new funding to the school system will boost the school in both academics and athletics.

Lisa Norris accepted the position in a one-year contract for $80,000 annually. Her contract period begins June 27, 2022 and ends June 30, 2023 with the possibility of renewal.

Lisa is excited to join the school system, wanting the position so she can help the school system grow and to work with the students enrolled at South Carroll schools.

With this being her first year as Director of Schools, she expects to face many challenges. For now, she is most concerned with Tennessee’s new funding model beginning with the 2023-24 school year. With the new model, schools will receive funding based on their student population — only receiving a specific dollar amount per student enrolled. Although the funding model is a year away, she is concerned with the effect it will have on small school systems like South Carroll.

Lisa Norris graduated from McKenzie High School in 1981 before attending Bethel College and receiving a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on Social Science. She also received a masters degree in Art and Education from Bethel College, where she gained 24 additional hours in special education and 18 hours in criminal justice. She earned her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Administrative Teaching and Learning from Walden University.

Lisa Norris is the co-founder of Carroll Academy and worked as a deputy sheriff and in Juvenile Court. She taught Criminal Justice, Orientation, and Critical Thinking at Bethel University. Recently, she taught Criminal Justice courses at the Carroll County Technical Center and through Dual Enrollment.

Throughout her career, Lisa Norris has received training at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville with the Forensic Anthropology Center and is a certified security guard. In 2021, she was one of sixty educators across the country chosen to participate in the virtual U.S. Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers.

Lisa and her husband, Chuck Norris, reside in McKenzie. They have two sons.