Kingsport City Schools Names Special Education Athletic Coordinator

KINGSPORT, TENN. –  Kingsport City Schools has named Nick Lingerfelt as the Special Education Athletic Coordinator. Lingerfelt will oversee all KCS TSSAA Unified Sporting Events, Special Olympics, Tribe Games, and Sparkle Squad. He will work closely with the KCS athletic department to provide equitable opportunities to all student-athletes within the district. Lingerfelt is a special education teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School and will continue teaching while assuming the duties of the KCS Special Education (SPED) Athletic Coordinator.  
 
According to Special Olympics/Unified and TSSAA, KCS is the first district in the state of Tennessee to offer a paid stipend position to oversee all special education athletic programs.

“Mr. Lingerfelt has long demonstrated a passion for both athletics and our most exceptional students," said Kingsport City Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Hampton. “I am very excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead for our students.” 

“Increasing the athletic opportunities for our students is very exciting," said Kingsport City Schools Director of Special Education, Dr. Jacki Wolfe. "We have strong Tribe Games and Sparkle Squad programs already in place; by adding Mr. Lingerfelt to our district athletic staff as the SPED Athletic Coordinator, we can expand our competitive team events to include Unified Sports and Special Olympics. I look forward to all the great ideas Mr. Lingerfelt brings with his passion for our students and athletics.”

Lingerfelt has worked as a special education teacher for 18 years. He previously worked in Unicoi County Schools and Washington County Schools and is entering year 13 as a special education teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School. Along with his teaching experience, Lingerfelt previously served as an assistant baseball coach and football coach at Unicoi County High School, Sevier Middle School, and Dobyns-Bennett High School. He served one year as the head baseball coach at David Crockett High School and was named interim head football coach for three games. Most recently, Lingerfelt served as an assistant baseball coach at Providence Academy for the past three seasons. Along with serving as the new KCS SPED Athletic Coordinator, he is also the head softball coach at Sevier Middle School.  

Lingerfelt is a graduate of East Tennessee State University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Special Education. He has served as the building-level department chair and SCORE teacher leadership committee representative. He was a teacher representative on the KCS compensation committee and was elected Teacher of the Year in 2016 at Dobyns-Bennett High School.

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice, and an alternative learning program; with a total enrollment of over 7,900 students. 
 
KCS has been ranked the "#1 Best Place to Teach in Tennessee" by the 2023 NICHE Best Schools Ranking and the City of Kingsport has been voted as the "Nicest Places in America" in the October 2022 Reader's Digest.
 
For more information visit www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, or call the KCS Administrative Support Center at (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (kcsdistrict), Instagram (kcs__district), Twitter (@kcs__district), LinkedIn (kcsdistrict), and check out our YouTube Channel (@kcs__district).  
 
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