BOE approves updates at six elementary schools
Oct. 26—MOULTRIE, Ga. — Six schools within the Colquitt County School District could receive facility updates following the Monday night Board of Education meeting.
Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Jones explained the facilities updates are included within the Capital Outlay Project application for the Fiscal Year 2024 through the Georgia Department of Education. This application is focusing on elementary schools (kindergarten through fifth grade).
The six elementary school campuses listed for potential updates are Wright, Stringfellow, Funston, Cox, Okapilco and Odum.
"The projects would consist of painting, flooring and HVAC systems," Jones said to the board.
The CCSD has five years to complete the projects, Jones said. The projects will be funded out of the current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (ESPLOST) and be reimbursed by the state Department of Education.
The current ESPLOST is set to expire next year. Residents will vote in March whether to renew it. If they do, the new ESPLOST will be active from October 2023 to November 2028 and will focus on the sixth- through 12-grade schools.
Among those plans is a facility update at Willie J Williams Middle School that could include expanding the cafeteria and parking lot.
"That cafeteria was built for about 900 students and runs about 1,300 over there right now," Jones said, "so that cafeteria needs to be expanded. That would be one project. Also, at Willie J Williams I'm talking about the possibility to demolish the oldest buildings on Willie J Williams's north end of campus."
The school district is considering a similar demolition and reconfiguring plan for C.A. Gray Junior High School.
"It will increase the ability to monitor students better from class transition and increase school safety," Jones said
The ESPLOST vote will be held on March 21, 2023, and both WJW and C.A. Gray will be funded through it.
"The board would like for these projects to be completed during the SPLOST timeline," Jones said in an email interview Wednesday.
The board unanimously approved the upgrade plan with a vote of 6-0. BOE Chairman Robby Pitts was absent from the meeting.
Other actions taken
The board also approved the September 2022 Financials, a Butler Snow Bond engagement letter and a field trip for Hamilton Elementary School fifth graders to travel to Seaworld in Orlando, Fla.
Colquitt County High School Principal Dan Chappuis and the board recognized Chance Pitts as the All-Time Winningest Fast Pitch Softball Coach in Colquitt County history.
The Federal Programs Department presented updates on their programs, which include Title I: Improving Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Academic Achievement Awards, Foster Care program, and Family-School Partnership Program, Parent and Family Engagement program, the Migrant Education program, the ESOL program and the Homelessness assistance.
Denise Pope said that there are currently more than 200 identified homeless students attending Colquitt County Schools. She explained a few methods the CCSD uses to help the students like providing extra academic tutoring during and after the school day and providing clothing or school supplies when needed.
Sunset Elementary School Principal Josh Purvis recognized Prospex Promotions and Hamilton Elementary School Principal Krista Harrell recognized Greta Collins with Colquitt County Farm Bureau as their Packer Business Partners. Both administrators also recognized Leah Hill and Georgette Jones as their respective schools' Teacher Spotlights.
Purvis presented an update to the board regarding the reading, math and science Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) scores. Sunset Elementary School's level three and level four scores are improving while their level one scores are gradually decreasing each year.
"I believe we've set ourselves up for an even better finish this year than what we've had the last few years. All indications that we have so far during the school years [show] that we're on track to do even better than we did last year," he said.
Harrell also presented an update during the regular session, "We would like to decrease the number of students in level one on our Georgia Milestones. We had 25% of our kids in 2021 in ELA and then 20% in '22. We're continuously working on it, but it's not where we want it to be."
She said improving the Georgia Milestone scores is Hamilton's main goal, and they have seen growth on the beginning of the year MAP assessments.
The next scheduled CCSD BOE meeting is Monday, Nov. 28. The work session starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by the regular session at 6:30 p.m.
