For Immediate Release
Paris, TN- Plus Endowment has released its grant Henry County School System recipients for the 2025/26 academic year. Plus Endowment is a nonprofit organization that awards grants to educators in Henry County Schools and the Paris Special School District that promote innovative and creative teaching. This year the organization was able to fund 57 grants for a total of $75,094.25. This is an increase of approximately $25,000 due largely to generous contributions and donations from the community.
Judging of the grants is conducted by the organization. Fifteen community leaders and former educators participate in a blind reading with personal information of each grant redacted. Grants are selected based on their innovation and creativity in the teaching of state standards.
This year four special designation grants were given to the following educators:
The William Atchison Grant- Holly Porter and Amy Whitaker, 7th Grade Science, W. O. Inman Middle School
This grant is named in honor of Plus Endowment founder and former Henry County educator, principal, and assistant superintendent, William Atchison. It is awarded to the highest scoring grant. This year, the winners had a perfect score of 100.
The Dr. Patricia Smith Grant- Dustin Smith, grades 3, 4, 5, STEM Paris Elementary School
This grant is awarded to the second highest scoring grant, named in memory of Dr. Patricia Smith, a former educator from Henry County, whose generous gift will leave a lasting impact on Plus and the educators in Henry County.
The Kim McDaniel Shining Bright Grant- Erin Sinclair, grades Pre K, K, 1 & 2, W.G. Rhea School
This grant is awarded to the highest scoring Pre-K-2nd grade grant and is named in memory of Rhea 2nd Grade educator, Kim McDaniel.
The Roddy Adkisson Special Education Grant- Breanna Hill, special education, Harrelson
This grant is awarded to the highest scoring special education grant and is named in memory of Henry County educator, Roddy Adkisson.
To Donate to Plus Endowment, you may
1.) Mail a check to
PLUS
P.O. Box 52
Paris, TN 38242
2.) Visit our website: www.plus-henrycounty.org
HCSS grant award winners:
Kimberley Wallett Beyond the Books
Carrie Burns Cosmic Connections
Lora McCampbell Connecting Millenniums
Leigh Anne Durham Cut Safely, Create Boldly
Paul O'Neal, Bailey Gordon, JT Hinson Science on the Water
Breanna Hill Community Connections
Jessica Lemons & Mary Ashlock Career Exploration
John Hinson Bringing Glowforge to the Classroom
Marcy Raus Serving Up Success
Katie Hernandez Read, Play, Learn
Flynn Watson, Justin McElroy, Shawna Clary, Marsha White A View of the World
Samantha Murphy Setting the Stage for the Future
Bailey Gordon Owl Pellets
Bailey Gordon Dissection of Frogs with Kits
David Stephens Science Discovery Beyond Formulas
Sandra Lambert Writing the Future
David Stephens Launching Future Engineers
Carey Bell & Jammie Adkisson Hands On Horizons
Lynne Green Save a Heart Day
Wendy Rudolph, Kim Bynum, Austin Thompson, Carey Bell Homemade with Heart
Photo: Breanna Hill, Special Education teacher at Harrelson Elementary School, poses with Plus board members, her principal, and her students after being presented the Roddy Adkisson Special Education award.