November 5, 2025
By JAMES EVANS
Rutherford County Schools
When April Sneed moved to Rutherford County as a teenager, she lived in the One Mile Lane area, and as an adult, she continues to live in the area with her own family.
So it’s extra special to Sneed that she has been selected to open the nearby Poplar Hill Middle School, which is under construction on Baker Road, Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan announced today.
“Ms. Sneed’s leadership has been transformational at Whitworth-Buchanan, and the school has consistently been recognized for high performance,” Director Sullivan said. “She currently serves as the cohort lead for our middle school group, ensuring collaboration amongst all of our high-performing middle schools. As principal of Poplar Hill Middle, I have the upmost confidence that Ms. Sneed will quickly build a welcoming and enriching culture in which all students experience the greatest levels of success.”
The school will open in August, and beginning in January, Sneed will begin her new duties to oversee the final stages of launching the new school.
“I am beyond honored and excited to be named principal of Poplar Hill Middle School,” Sneed said. “While I am thrilled for this opportunity, leaving Whitworth-Buchanan is truly bittersweet. I want to thank the WBMS community — my teachers, support staff, students, parents and community partners. The experiences and relationships built over the past seven years have shaped me into the leader that I am today. I know that we have built something outstanding that will be sustainable long after my time.”
Sneed added: “I want to especially thank Dr. Sullivan for giving me this incredible opportunity to build something extraordinary from the ground up at Poplar Hill Middle School. PHMS will be a school where students thrive academically and socially, and they are prepared to grasp the opportunities of high school and beyond, a school that is welcoming to the community, feedback and input are valued, strong partnerships are created, and all stakeholders are proud to call themselves Poplar Hill Middle School Bobcats!”
Under Sneed’s leadership, Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School has earned multiple awards and honors for student performance.
That wasn’t always the case.
When Sneed became principal in July 2019, Whitworth-Buchanan was struggling, and it was labeled by the Tennessee Department of Education as a school needing targeted assistance.
With the help of her leadership team, teachers, students and parents, the school is now known for its high expectations and student performance, along with a growing list of accomplishments, awards and honors.
The most recent award, which was announced last spring, is the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Lighthouse School award.
During Sneed’s tenure, the school has earned a Level 5 designation each year for student growth, been named a reward school twice, and was named the first school in Rutherford County to be named a model school by the International Center for Leadership and Education.
Sneed also was named Principal of the Year for Rutherford County in 2022 and progressed to the finalist level for Tennessee Principal of the Year.
A search for the next principal of Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School will begin immediately.