August 11, 2025
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we begin another school year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for helping us get off to a great start. Your support and involvement are essential to the success of our students, and we are truly grateful to have such a strong and committed community behind our schools.
We also want to take this opportunity to make you aware of an important new policy that was passed by the state legislature and requires local school boards to approve or amend their cell phone policy. The Lauderdale County Board of Education on August 7, 2025 amended our cell phone policy (Board Policy 6.312) to require all students to keep their phones turned off and stored away during the entire school day. This change is designed to minimize distractions and ensure our students remain focused on learning. We appreciate your support as we work together to help our children succeed academically and socially.
In addition to supporting a strong learning environment, Lauderdale County Schools remains firmly committed to the safety and security of every student, staff member, and visitor. As part of this ongoing commitment, we will begin implementing metal detectors in our secondary schools—Halls High School, Halls Junior High School, Ripley High School, and Ripley Middle School—this year. You will gradually begin to see these become part of the morning routine at each school.
While we are proud of the close-knit and supportive community we share, we also recognize the importance of being proactive. We never want to be the district that says, “We didn’t think it could happen here.” Taking every precaution available is part of our promise to you and your children.
We are committed to being transparent with our families and working in partnership with you to keep our schools safe and our students thriving. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school’s administration.
I look forward to seeing each of you at the Tiger Bowl on Friday night, August 15, at Ripley High School. The National Anthem will begin at 5:45 p.m., and kickoff will be at 7:20 p.m., with several activities in between. Thank you again for a strong start to the year and for entrusting us with your children each day. Together, we can make this school year one of the best yet.
Go Tigers!
Sincerely,
Selina Sparkman
Superintendent of Schools
Lauderdale County Schools
A PDF copy of this statement can be accessed here.