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The Paper | Thursday, April 16, 2015
Board discusses new school for South Hall area
LeAnne Akin The Paper
Jackson County School Superintendent April Howard thanked those who attended Monday’s meeting of the Jackson County Board of Education to ask questions about how the school system plans to cope with the growth which is impacting the western portion of the county. Sitting on stage for the session which lasted more than two and a half hours was (L-R) Assistant Superintendent Jamie Hitzges, board member Celina Wilson, chairman Michael Cronic, Superintendent Howard and board members Lynne Massey-Wheeler, Tim Brooks and Steve Bryant.
SCHOOLS
Continued from 1A Cronic, who asked to gain appointment to the Jackson County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) in an effort to represent the school board’s position on matters related to tax abatements and their impacts, said he was “slapped in the face and told no.” With a new chief tax appraiser now onboard, Howard said she feels confident the discrepancies that were suspected will be addressed. Responding to a question inquiring about the status of the school board’s request for an audit related to the tax digest concerns, she reported there had been no audit. The impact of lower than anticipated ad valorem tax revenues meant further belt-tightening for the school system including calendar reduction days and personal action. That will continue somewhat. The financial crisis has not yet passed as the system continues to “face significant budgetary restraints in its anticipated revenue an expenditures for the 2015-2016 school year” so additional cost-cutting measures are being taken. The central office will still feel the impacts of furloughs, a reduction in force will eliminate the Early Children Education program which will be offered by Lanier Tech and some other personnel reductions are taking place. Several other positions are also being through attrition due to resignations, retirement, contract nonrenewals or transfers to other vacant positions including media resource specialist, elementary P.E. and administrative positions. Also, the assistant superintendent will be taking on duties of human resources as current HR Director Jason Wester is opting to return to the classroom and to coaching.
Personnel recommendations The Jackson County Board of Education is preparing for the 2015-16 school year with Monday night’s acceptance of district and school administration recommendations. During the board’s April 2 work session, Superintendent April Howard thanked the school board for providing a full calendar for the 2015-16 school year which is easing the task of securing returning and new teachers. While other school systems had returned to a full calendar for teachers,
the financial situation of the school system had not allowed elimination of calendar reduction days until recently. The recommendations of central office and school administration are being made in April with plans for the teacher recommendations to be finalized at the May meeting because of “logistical dominoes,” said Howard. A work in progress is how she decribed the process to ready staffing for the next school year. Recommended to be a part of the district administrative team for next year is Bob Betz, Todd Shultz, Linda Bell, Amity Hardegree, Annah Dodge, Debra Morris, Dennis Patrick, Elaine Gunter, Teresa Strickland, Jamie Hitzges, MaLissa Hill and Miranda Storey. At the school level, administrators will include Pam Shields, Michelle Archibald, who is transferring from West Jackson Primary School to be the new Maysville Elementary School principal Pete Jones, Dale Simpson, Jennifer Halley, Cheryl Poponi, Alisa Hanley, Tim Nichols, Amy Wright, Resa Brooksher, Kendra Phillips, Joe Cobb, Karen Rodenroth, Todd Nickelsen, Allyson Pennington,Troy Johnson, Chanda Palmer, Joe Lancaster, Tiffany Barnett, Mary Ann Hale (80 percent), Kim Johnson, Stephen Greene, Jamie Dixon, Sandy Akin and Shawn Lindsey. Also at the Monday session, the board approved the following personnel action items:
EJCHS Theresa Easter, Bus Driver, WJPS Eleanor Lynch, Bus Driver, WJPS Taryne Mingo, Counselor, SJES Oscar Narvarez, Spanish Teacher, JCCHS Adrienne Robinson, K-3 Teacher, MES Cathy Thompson, School Nurse, System Transfers Michelle Archibald. Assistant Principal, WJPS to Principal, MES John Canupp. Principal, MES to 50% Assistant Principal/50% Instructional Coach & Student Support Services, WJES Bressa Crocker, Math Teacher, EJMS to EJCHS Matt Gibbs, Health/PE Teacher, BES to BESIEJCHS Verdi Huffman, Media Resource Specialist, JCCHS to IT Department System Sara Mixon, Media Resource Specialist (100%) to Media Resource Specialist (50%), NJES Jennifer Saine. API, GSES to Media Resource Specialist, JCCHS Don Sorrells, Health/PE Teacher, NJES to NJES/MES Jason Wester, Human Resources Director, System to Social Studies Teacher. JCCHS Wesley Wheeler, Special Education Teacher, EJMS to EJCHS Retirement Shirley White, assistant principal, Benton Elementary
New hires effective for the 2015-16 School Year Blair Armstrong, PE Teacher, JCCHS Andy Briscoe, Math Teacher, EJCHS Wayne Brooks. English Teacher, JCCHS Donald Byrom, Social Studies Teacher, EJCHS Christina Curtis, Science Teacher, JCCHS Tucker Duke, Math Teacher, JCCHS Craig Ellis, Social Studies Teacher, JCCHS Terrence Miller. English Teacher. EJCHS Jocelyn Newell. Math Teacher, EJCHS
Jefferson City BOE meeting on personnel actions
Resignations/Terminations Jeff Algard, PE/Health Teacher, JCCHS Katie David, PE/Health Teacher,
The Jefferson City Schools Board of Education is also considering personnel appointments for the 2015-16 school year. A lengthy executive session held April 9 concluded with the board to set a called meeting, possibly on April 17, to take up the matter school administration. Superintendent John Jackson said Tuesday that the anticipated called session had not yet been scheduled. Concerns about leadership at one school has prompted parents and staffers to communicate with the superintendent and board members. However, others say the situation is merely an attempt by the Jefferson power elite to manipulate the leadership structure within the close-knit small city school system.
April 30 registration round-up
Foothills Education Charter High is offering second chance Registration round-up for Foothills Education Charter High School, a new evening school opening in August to give students a second chance to graduate, will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, at Southside Church, the former site of South Jackson Elementary School on Highway 129. The event will provide information on the school and refreshments will be served. Rachael Parr and Mary Ann Hale will be the site directors for Jackson County’s Foothills Education Charter High School location which will oc-
cupy a wing at East Jackson Comprehensive High School. The school will be able to accommodate 150 students from Jackson and surrounding counties. Applications are available online at www.foothillscharter.org or from Hale at EJCHS. For more information, call Hale at 706-423-5108 or email maryann.hale@ foothillscharter.org. You can also call Parr at 706423-5110 or email Rachael. parr@foothillscharter.org. Foothills is offering an answer to the region’s dropout problem by offering a unique opportunity to any student who wishes to earn
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an accredited Georgia high school diploma. With multiple locations, Foothills has a full range of high school courses in a convenient, flexible, self-paced format. All classes are held in the evening, making it convenient for those who work during the day. Tuition is free for fulltime Foothills students who can take as many or as few courses to successfully complete coursework. To better
meet the different learning styles of students, Foothills offers a variety of course formats including textbook and web-based instruction. Visit www.foothillscharter.org where you can also learn about employment opportunities at the school. Barrow County also has a Foothills location at 54 W. Star St., in Bethlehem. Call 770-867-1711. Site administrators are Bill Kruskamp and Jason Smith.
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Possible changes discussed include realigning grades at Flowery Branch and Johnson By KRISTEN OLIVER
Regional staff
The southern portion of Hall County is booming, and the school board is planning for growth. The Hall County Board of Education discussed the need for more classroom space at Johnson High School and Flowery Branch High School at the board’s work session Monday. It floated the possibility of realigning the grades in schools in those districts and opening a new school. “Looking at our enrollment and our growth, it is crystal clear to us — though this could change on a dime and sometimes does — we are really short on classroom space in grades six through 12 in the Flowery Branch district and in the Johnson district,” said Hall County Superintendent Will Schofield. “So we’ve talked about getting enough classroom space in those two areas growing so rapidly.” One possible solution to the growth in the area, Schofield said, is the creation of an eighth- and ninth-grade transition academy. This would not only alleviate the need for space in the area, but it would be an asset to ninth-graders in the district, according to Schofield. “We’re really excited about what we’ve discussed and looked at as a possibility,” Schofield said. “And that’s looking in the Flowery Branch and Johnson areas at a sixth and seventh configuration, an eighth and ninth transition academy
and (grades) 10-12 (for) high schools. We think if we did that, we could use existing space and build one new school in the Johnson district for sixth and seventh.” The board approved a resolution Monday to withdraw its Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Outlay Application as part of its five-year Facility Plan. This originally included additions to Johnson High School and Flowery Branch High School and was submitted in 2014. Schofield said since then, the district has become increasingly aware of the need for realignment affecting all grades six through 12 in the Flowery Branch and Johnson area, and the originally planned additions would likely not suffice. Next school year, Johnson is projected to have 1,500 students, Schofield said. Facilities director Matt Cox said the earliest the new facility could be open would be 2018. School board member Craig Herrington said there is definitely going to be some additional growth in South Hall with the addition of the new Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton. “The growth is coming,” he said. Board chairman Nath Morris agreed. “That’s definitely where the growth is,” Morris said. “It slowed down in 2008, but I think it’s starting to catch more momentum again…. If we don’t start planning now, we’re going to get caught behind the eight-ball.”
If we don’t start planning now, we’re going to get caught behind the eightball. Nash Morris Hall County Board of Education chairman
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Last year’s International VIP Tour had Jackson County and the City of Jefferson serving as one of the host communities with the Crawford W. Long Museum as one of the tour stops. The International VIP Tour is the only event that brings the bulk of Atlanta’s diplomatic community together with Georgians in these communities. The Georgia Department of Economic Development has organized the annual three-day tour since 1985. “Every year the International VIP Tour shows off a ‘slice’ of Georgia to our Consular Corps,” said Ember Bishop, GDEcD’s deputy commissioner of international relations. “The tour creates an opportunity to familiarize our VIP Tour
guests with destinations they might not have otherwise seen, as well as create long-lasting friendships and business connections within these thriving communities.” Follow the conversation and stay up-to-date with the three-day VIP Tour by following #GAVIPTour About the Georgia Department of Economic Development The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) plans, manages and mobilizes state resources to attract new business investment to Georgia, drive the expansion of existing industry and small business, locate new markets for Georgia products, inspire tourists to visit Georgia and promote the state as a top destination for arts events and film, music and digital entertainment projects.