MOULTRIE, Ga. – Not many Colquitt County residents had much to say about the Board of Education facility update proposals during a second public hearing Monday night.
The BOE’s proposals include renovation plans for C.A. Gray Junior High School, Willie J. Williams Middle School and Colquitt County High School. The district will also move forward on the construction of a new Colquitt County Canning Plant and Ag Facility.
The projects will begin based on the ESPLOST vote, but the district hopes to start them between the late fall of 2023 and the summer of 2024.
The CCSD held its first public hearing on the plans during the December meeting. No one came forward to be heard. The second public hearing briefly took place after the BOE meeting’s work session Monday.
Superintendent Ben Wiggins opened the floor to the local residents.
“It’s a public hearing. The board is here to hear anything you would like to say,” he said to the meeting attendees.
One local resident came forward with gratitude for the board’s plans to move the ninth-graders from C.A. Gray Junior High School to Colquitt County High School.
“I really appreciate what the board did as far as the things I read about what they intend to do at C.A. Gray. After researching the makeup of most schools in Georgia, ninth grade is with high school, so if the eighth grade is going to be at C.A. Gray I really appreciate that,” the resident said.
The ninth-grade transition to CCHS would be effective for the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 school year, according to the district’s notice of public hearing.
Another resident came forward with questions about the capital outlay projects.
The district’s capital outlay projects include HVAC, paint, and flooring updates for the following six elementary schools: Cox Elementary, Funston Elementary, Odom Elementary, Okapilco Elementary, R.B. Wright Elementary and Stringfellow Elementary. The projects are eligible for partial funding assistance from the Georgia Department of Education and will be completed over a five-year period.
Other actions
Judge Wes Lewis swore in two new board members Darren Hembree of District 5 and Hayden Willis of District 4. Both will serve four-year terms. Board Member Trudie Hill was also sworn in; she has served since 2004 and was re-elected last year.
Board member Mary Beth Watson was nominated and voted in as the BOE chairman. Board member Kevin Sumner of District 6 is the vice chair.
Willie J. Williams Middle School Principal Jim Horne recognized Philadelphia College of Medicine South Georgia Chief of Campus Operations Joanne Jones as its Packer Business Partner. Horne later recognized Sheryl Stalvey, who was named the CCSD’s Teacher of the Year, during the Teacher Spotlight.
“Our MAP data is showing that our students are performing better in math in comparison to Georgia Milestones last year. We’re hoping that translates into better scores this year,” Horne said during his school update.
Horne told the board that WJW has revamped the Packer mentoring program and will soon start a morning tutoring program during the students’ breakfast time.
“At 7:15 in the morning, my cafeteria is full of students so we’re going to take those students and run them through some tutoring programs to help us get some of these scores to come up,” he said.
CCSD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Marni Kirkland introduced a change to the district’s attendance policy that stems from state legislation.
The change was specific to students’ participation in 4-H activities. The policy is under review until the next BOE meeting.
“A student who participates in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H shall be credited as present by the school in which enrolled in the same manner as an educational field trip, and such participation in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H shall not be counted as an absence, either excused or unexcused, for any day, portion of a day, or days missed from school,” the policy amendment reads.
During the regular session, R.B. Wright Elementary School Principal Summer Hall recognized Freedom Logistics Owner Laura Dell as its Packer Business Partner. Amy Grobe and Linsey Plymel were recognized as the Teacher Spotlight.
The board approved William McCalley as the board attorney for 2023 and amended its meeting schedule so that regular meetings begin at 6 p.m. instead of 6:30.
Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Jones’s work session presentation of the financials for December 2022 was approved with a vote 6-0. He told the board that the December 2022 financials were the third-highest collection month.
The board approved for the transferral of Hamilton Elementary School’s bank account to Ameris Bank to participate in its fundraising program called “School Spirit.”
An extended list of school field trips was also approved. A completed list can be found on the board’s online board archive.
The next scheduled CCSD BOE meeting will be Monday, Feb. 27. The work session starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by the regular session at 6 p.m.