The most common out-of-county residences are Hopkinsville and Princeton. Superintent Tim McGinnis said the district also employs teachers from Dover, Tenn., Eddyville, Paducah, Melber and Murray, to name a few.
It is impossible to know all the reasons why some teachers choose to live outside the county. McGinnis said that perhaps the most common reason is where the teacher’s spouse is employed
High school teacher Lori Wooton is an example of this reason. Wooton has taught at the high school for three years and lives in Dawson Springs, which she said is a 25-minute drive from Cadiz. She that Dawson Springs is the most convenient place for her and her husband, Jerry, to live. She said they have no immediate plans to move, but that when Jerry retires, they plan to move to Trigg County.
McGinnis said Wooton is just one of many outstanding teachers in the district who live outside the county. He said it is important for every teacher to be active in the community and that most district teachers do a great job with this, regardless of their address. Teachers who live outside the county may miss out on a few opportunities to build relationships with their students and the students’ families, but plenty of teachers make up the difference, he said.
“Certainly the perception is that if a faculty member lives in the community, they’ll be more active,” McGinnis said. “It helps, but it’s not guaranteed.” He added, “It’s what you do from eight to three that makes the difference.”
McGinnis said that some people have been born and raised in Trigg County and come back to teach here despite living elsewhere. Others may choose to keep their professional and private lives separate. Although McGinnis has lived in the county since becoming superintendent, he said he still attends his home church with his mother in Hopkinsville every week.
“Here I’m the superintendent,” he said. “Back home, I’m just Tim.”
More on this in this edition of The Cadiz Record.
