The football teams of North Tattnall Middle School (NTMS) and South Tattnall Middle School (STMS) will merge together next school year as a feeder program for the Tattnall County High School (TCHS) football team. A presentation was made by TCHS Head Football Coach Pat Collins for this proposal to the Tattnall County Board of Education (BOE) members at their Monday, November 18, 2024, meeting, and they readily approved this recommendation.
Also, TCHS Coach Tyshawn Steger has agreed to be the new coach of this combined middle school football team.
In his comments, Coach Collins added that this would provide a better foundation, continuity, and better relationships, with an improved impact on the TCHS football program through positivity and better oversight. The retention is now only about 20 percent of those who play in middle school athletics.
"This will make for a much stronger TCHS football program and positively affect our future varsity program. This combined middle school football program will create a solid foundation and lasting improvements," he said.
Those in the program will be bussed from the middle schools to the high school for the practices. The middle school athletes will utilize the practice field at TCHS for their practices.
The only expense that Collins foresees is the expense of jerseys, which are estimated to be about $50 each for the 60 players expected from the middle schools. Most of the equipment from the two middle schools can be utilized in this new combined program.
Those interested in serving as a sponsor for the purchase of these jerseys are welcome to contact Superintendent Dr. Kristen Waters at 912 557-4726 or 912-237-6268 or Coach Pat Collins at 912-557-4374.
In other agenda items, the BOE members agreed to the expense of $16,228 a year, which will provide $15,000 of life insurance coverage through Hadden Insurance for all BOE staff.
Also, High Quality Instructional Materials for Literacy were approved as well as the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) expenditure schedule.
Under personnel, Andrea Harper was approved as a math teacher at TCHS effective January 2, 2025, and the resignation of Bruce Roberts as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)/Migrant Education Teacher at TCHS was approved effective May 30, 2025.