Our History
The Paris Special School District was established by a Private Act of the Tennessee General Assembly in 1919. The Paris Special School District original Act of 1919 created the district with the limits and boundaries of the district being identical with the First Civil District of Henry County. The name of Paris Special School District was also designated by the 1919 Private Act. From 1919 until 1959, the district provided instruction for grades one through eight. In 1959 by agreement with the Henry County Board of Education, grades seven and eight were transferred to Grove Junior High School. By agreement with the Henry County board of Education in 1995, the seventh grade students and in 1996, the eighth grades students were transferred back to the P.S.S.D. system to receive their education at W.O. Inman Middle School.
There are three schools that make up Paris Special School District: W. G. Rhea School, Paris Elementary School, and W. O. Inman Middle School.
W.G. Rhea School was opened in August 1968. The school was named for Dr. W. G. Rhea, Sr., a long time member of the P.S.S.D. Board of Education and a contributor to the building fund for the school. Four classrooms were added at the north end of the building in 1970. Four more classrooms were added in 1982 at the south end of the building. In 1985, the covered playground was enclosed to make a modern gym for physical education and other activities. In 1995 another large construction project began at Rhea which included the addition of 14 classrooms. W.G. Rhea School at this time houses kindergarten through second grades plus three voluntary pre-k classrooms.
August 3, 2018 was the first day of classes for the completed third phase of construction for the newly expanded and renovated W.G Rhea Elementary School. This was the final construction phase of a three part project that began in earnest in April 2012.
Phase 1 April 2012- July 2012 - Courtyard Infill- this phase was designed and constructed fast track in the spring and summer of 2012. The project constructed a new interior space in place of an open air interior courtyard located within the latest addition in 1995. This approximately 5800 sq ft addition provided space for a new music room, teacher work/planning space, and a large area that would become the new library at the completion of the second phase.
Phase 2 May 2016 - July 2017- this phase was designed in the summer and fall of 2015 with construction beginning in May 2016 and completed in time for the 2017 school year.
This phase totals 37,700 sq ft and includes a new office suite, 22 new classrooms, a literacy center, and teacher work/planning areas. Additionally, a new front entrance canopy, new bus drop off canopy, and a queuing lane and parking were included in this phase.
Phase 3 August 2017 - July 2018 - this phase includes a new full service kitchen, cafeteria that seats 240, and 4 classrooms that are reinforced to FEMA guidelines for a tornado safe space. Additional parking lots with curbs and gutters plus sod for green space is also part of this final phase.
W.O. Inman Middle School, which opened in the fall of 1975, was build to replace Robert E. Lee School. The school was named for Mr. W. O. Inman who served as superintendent of the Paris Special School District from 1933 - 1965. In 1995 Inman Middle School began a large addition of eight classrooms, a gymnasium with a stage, a music department consisting of a chorus room and a band room. The Inman Middle School Athletic Facility was completed for use in April of 2017. It is a 120’ X 80’ X 16’ metal building on a reinforced 4” concrete slab. It has 3 – 10’ X 10” overhead doors and 4 3’ X 7’ exterior metal doors.The building is heated and air conditioned. Two single stall restrooms with a toilet, hand sink, and an electric wall heater are provided. One drinking fountain also provided. 80’ X 85’ of the floor space is covered with field turf with a 5mm padding underneath. All interior walls and beams are covered with wall padding. A 45’ X 35’ weight room with weight machines is included. The remainder of the floor space is covered with a 3/8” rubber matting. Retractable batting cages are installed. There are 2 batting cages, one 10’ X 10’ and the other 10’ X 40’. The sixth through eighth grades attend Inman Middle School.
Paris Elementary School opened in August 1999. The students in third through fifth grades attend Paris Elementary School. This facility, as a joint venture with the city of Paris, includes a performing arts center, a multipurpose gym with a suspended walking track, an indoor 25 foot swimming pool, a fitness center with exercise and weight rooms, and two community meeting rooms
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
