Jere Whitson Elementary School
 Our goal is to provide every student the opportunity to obtain the best education possible. We will not discriminate against any student, employee, or applicant on the basis of sex, race, color, or national origin. We have high expectations of our students and stress to each of them that they can and will succeed. To accomplish this goal, there must be a close working relationship between the parents and the school. This handbook has been developed to promote this positive relationship by giving you much of the information you need to know in order to help us help your child succeed.
About Jere Whitson
In the late 1920’s, north Cookeville was in need of a new school because the only school in the area, Freehill School, was in extreme disrepair. Mr. J.P. Jackson, a local resident, approached the school board to ask for a new school. Mr. Jere Whitson was serving as school board chairman at the time and asked for a public meeting of interested citizens of the area. The meeting was a productive one. It was decided that a new school would be built on what is the present site, the property donated to the county by Mr. Jere Whitson. The area residents helped by supplying the money and much of the labor for the project, truly making it a community undertaking. The school was a two room frame structure and was named after Mr. Jere Whitson because of his involvement in the process and fact that he donated land on which the school was built.
The school was enlarged in 1952 to include a cafeteria, gym, office area, library, and fourteen classrooms. In 1975, the “lower end” of the building was built to add a larger cafeteria and kitchen, additional bathrooms, and six new classrooms. A renovation in 1989 was undertaken to paint, replace carpet, and partition some areas to better utilize available space.
In 1994, we occupied our most recent addition to Jere Whitson Elementary. This is the new part added to the back of the building and includes two first grade classrooms, one CDC resource room, a multipurpose room, a new library, custodial closets and a staff restroom. The old library was converted into the office located at the front entrance to the building and includes the main office, reception area, conference room, textbook storage room, and principal’s office.
Mission and Philosophy
The staff at Jere Whitson Elementary School is dedicated to providing a quality education for every student. It is our goal to instill in all students the moral and social values basic to the needs of the individual within our culture, the ideals of our democratic society and a lifelong love for learning.
We recognize that each child is an individual possessing special characteristics and unique needs. The educational program is based on the premise that all students are capable of learning and that it is our responsibility to provide a program of study that will enable every individual to achieve all that their abilities will allow.
 | School Contact Information
Here Whitson Elementary School
178 Jere Whitson Road
Cookeville, TN 38501
View Map
Phone: 931-526-6575
Principal: Jess Hawkins |
More Information
|
View Full Calendar 
