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Centertown Christian Academy accepting students
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Dyllon Young portrays Jesus on the cross during a recent play at Centertown Christian Academy. School administrator Billy Cunningham was part of the production.
James Clark
Updated: Jun 16, 2016, 10:31 PM
Published: Jun 16, 2016, 11:31 PM

The first day of school is set for Wednesday, Aug. 10. That’s not a date students and teachers want to think about three weeks into summer vacation.
Centertown Christian Academy is gearing up for its third year of operation under the direction of school administrator Billy Cunningham. The private institution can handle up to 24 students who are allowed to work at their own pace in a relaxed classroom environment.
“Each student sets their goals of what they’re going to do that day,” said pastor Jerry Smith, the school’s founder. “If they reach their daily goal, they don’t have homework. At first, they go through an adjustment period of dealing with self-motivation. Then they get used to it and understand what they need to do.”
Centertown Christian Academy is located at the old Centertown School grounds. Classes are conducted in what used to be the cafeteria, while the gym still stands and is filled with inflatables for students to use during PE.
“We couldn’t ask for a better facility,” said Smith, pointing out the building remains in great shape.
Seven subjects are taught under the ACE curriculum, which Smith says is used by about 8,000 schools worldwide. ACE stands for Accelerated Christian Education. Bible and art are two of the side subjects taught.
The school operates under the auspices of Centertown Community Church, which is a member of the Central Baptist Association. Students must provide their own transportation and their own lunch.
The school finished its second year with eight students. Smith said two new students have already registered for next year with enrollment capped at 24.
The school mirrors the Warren County School System calendar and is available for students in grades 2-12. The cost is $200 a month.
To celebrate the end of the year, the school recently held an awards banquet that included a 15-minute play that was written and directed by students. The play had a biblical theme, portraying Christ on the cross.
For more information on Centertown Christian Academy, call the school at 939-5001 and leave a message if no one answers. School officials check in several times a week during the summer. Pastor Smith can be reached at (615) 522-7525.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community