Board Business Briefs: School Board Reviews Planned Improvements, Appoints New Leaders

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, May 15, 2025, reviewed the Superintendent’s final year-one report and planned focus areas for 2025-26 school year, the findings of the school district’s audits this past year, and appointed new school and district leaders.

The meeting began with a work session at 5:15 p.m. followed by the regular business meeting at 7 p.m.  Both meetings began with a moment of silence in honor of Oak Grove ES STEAM Academy Principal Laura Akers, a longtime CCSD educator and leader who passed away last week after illness.

Both were livestreamed via YouTube and recorded; sound system issues occurred during the meeting, and efforts are underway to improve the videos’ sound quality before posting on the CCSD website in the Board of Education area online here.

KEY PRIORITIES REPORT AND 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR OUTLOOK

The school district’s Key Priorities are based on Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis’s entry plan work last spring to listen to the community and analyze financial, operational and student performance reports. 

The four Key Priorities informed by this feedback for the past year have driven CCSD’s work as an organization, with regular progress reports shared with the community.

Superintendent Davis during Thursday’s work session shared the fourth and final quarterly progress report, which is online here.  The report details the status of specific Action Steps that she set in the spring for each Key Priority.  For each Action Step, underlying activities were implemented to ensure measurable success.

The report shows completion or substantial progress on all activities in the four Key Priorities areas: academics and achievement for all students; effective School Board-Superintendent Governance; district coordination and alignment of goals, systems, and processes; and embracing a pervasive high-quality school environment defined by high standards, effective supports, and consistent practices.

Highlights noted in the new report include the completion of a teacher-informed update of CCSD Teaching & Learning Standards including the roll-out of new English language arts standards, the selection and purchase of new English language arts and math core instructional resources for kindergarten through high school and ensuring those new instructional resources will serve all students’ academic needs.

To continue the accountability and transparency developed through the Key Priorities process, Superintendent Davis on Thursday shared an updated Key Priorities plan to drive the school district’s work for next school year.

The “Elevating the Excellence 2.0” plan continues the structure of the four Key Priority areas, associated specific Action Steps, and detailed underlying activities. 

The report, which is online here, details numerous planned projects including, but not limited to:

• Consideration of science and social studies core instructional resources for grades K-12;
• Review of the School Board’s current student promotion, retention, and grading policy;
• Completion of a classroom utilization study and age and condition study of facilities to help guide future school construction and renovation projects; and,
• Completion of the new replacement Cherokee High School campus, set to open in August 2026.     

FINANCIAL REPORTS

The School Board on Thursday heard several financial reports, including the results of the annual independent, third-party financial audit of the school district.

Christian Hatch of Williamson & Company CPAs shared the report, posted online here, which issues CCSD a “clean opinion” with no findings, which means that the finances and accounting all are in proper order and following best practices.  This audit report now will be reviewed by the Georgia Department of Education, as is done annually.

During the work session, Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Owen also presented an Audits & Reviews report, posted online here, which detailed the type, intent, outcome, and schedules of numerous annual audits of the district’s records, including the (1) Annual Comprehensive Financial Review (ACFR), (2) the independent, third-party Annual Audit required by the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Audits, (3) the Moody’s and (4) Standard & Poor’s for setting credit ratings, and (5) the GaDOE’s federal cross-functional monitoring, and the GaDOE and U.S. Department of Agriculture audit of CCSD’s School Nutrition program. 

These independent reviews are in addition to the internal audits conducted by the district’s Financial Management office throughout the school year.  Staff completes annual desk audits for all schools, plus full procedural audits both when a school or department/division experiences a leadership and/or bookkeeper change as well as at schools and departments/divisions selected randomly each year.

Mr. Owen stated that the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Financial Excellence since 2020.  Fewer than 5% of school districts in the state can produce the level of disclosure required for an ACFR.  He also noted that the school district has received unmodified independent auditor reports in each of the past 11 years with no findings, no questioned costs, no material weaknesses, or significant deficiencies in internal controls. He stated that CCSD’s Moody’s Credit Rating (Aa1 stable) is determined by comparing CCSD to other school districts nationally and has been achieved by fewer than 3% of school districts across the country.

All audit reports are available on the district website online here.

School Board members Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison and Kelly Poole both thanked Mr. Owen and his staff for the presentation and the work required to complete the audits reviewed.  School Board Chair Janet Read Welch additionally thanked Mr. Hatch for his detailed report, which she said was much appreciated.

The board also heard the monthly financial report, which is online here.

During its business meeting, the board voted, 5-2, with Dr. Padgett-Harrison and Ms. Poole opposed, to postpone a resolution regarding new state legislation, House Bill 845.  School Board Chair Janet Read Welch, upon proposing the resolution be postponed, said she wanted the board to instead first meet with the local legislative delegation to discuss the new law.

SUPPORT SERVICES UPDATES

The School Board on Thursday took several important actions related to school facilities.

The board voted to sell the current Free Home Elementary School building to the Cherokee County government for $974,100.  The Cherokee County government is considering using the site for a public library, tax and tag office, and athletic facility.  A new replacement Free Home ES campus, just up Ball Ground Road from the current historic school building, will open for classes in August.

“Free Home is amazing,” School Board Chair Janet Read Welch said of the new replacement school, which the board recently celebrated at a community open house and ribbon cutting ceremony.  “The whole team did a great job.”

The board unanimously approved a $27.8 million contract with the Carroll Daniel construction and engineering firm to build an additional gym for Sequoyah High School and improve its athletic facilities including construction of a new field house and press box.  Construction will begin this summer and be complete by November 2026.

A right-of-way deed and easement were granted by the board to the Cherokee County government for its project to add a left-turn lane and the extension of the right-turn lane on East Cherokee Drive at the Macedonia ES entrance to ease congestion. 

The board additionally heard the monthly capital outlay report, which is online here.  All projects, including construction of the new replacement Cherokee HS campus and Free Home ES campus, are on schedule and within budget.

Pictured: From left, Debbie Ritter, Dr. Jessica Porter, Jennifer McIntosh, Rebecca Carlisle, Chris Wallace, Aimee Adams, Jennifer Box, Lisa Burns, Erin Frey, Lindsey Goran, Kelli Nastasi, Nathan Ogle.

NEW LEADERS

As part of its approval of the monthly human resources employment recommendations, the School Board on Thursday appointed several new principals and other leaders.

Debbie Ritter, a 27-year educator who currently serves as principal of CCSD Preschool Centers and previously served in a district curriculum role and as an elementary school teacher, will lead Knox ES STEM Academy as its new principal.  Dr. Jessica Porter, a 33-year educator who currently serves as an assistant principal of Holly Springs ES STEM Academy and previously served as a middle school, elementary school, and preschool teacher, will lead CCSD Preschool Centers as its new principal.

Three open district leadership positions for next school year were filled: Jennifer McIntosh will serve as director for School Leadership & Operations, Rebecca Carlisle will serve as supervisor of recruitment and retention for Human Resources, and Chris Wallace will serve as coordinator for career, technical and agricultural education (CTAE).

A 26-year educator, Ms. McIntosh currently serves as principal of Knox ES STEM Academy and previously served as an assistant principal at Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy.  A 16-year educator, Ms. Carlisle currently serves as an HR director in Gwinnett County and previously served as a high school and middle school teacher.  A 19-year educator, Mr. Wallace currently serves as director of facilities and maintenance in Walker County and previously served as a chief operations officer and a CTAE director and high school principal.

As a result of promotions and retirements, assistant principal appointments and transfers also were approved:

• Aimee Adams, a teacher on special assignment at Holly Springs ES STEM Academy, will serve as an assistant principal there;
• Amanda Blackwell, an assistant principal at E.T. Booth MS, will serve in the same role at Creekland MS;
• Jennifer Box, a teacher at ACTIVE Academies, will serve as an assistant principal there;
• Lisa Burns, the instructional lead strategist at Dean Rusk MS, will serve as an assistant principal there;
• Beth Coryell, an assistant principal at Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, will serve in the same role at E.T. Booth MS;
• Erin Frey, the instructional lead strategist at Teasley MS, will serve as an assistant principal at Mill Creek MS;
• Dr. Chris Garity, an assistant principal at Mill Creek MS, will serve in the same role at Clayton ES;
• Lindsey Goran, a teacher at Avery ES, will serve as an assistant principal at Liberty ES;
• Kelli Nastasi, the instructional lead strategist at Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, will serve as an assistant principal there;
• Nathan Ogle, a teacher at Woodstock HS, will serve as an assistant principal there; and,
• Shannon Thomas, an assistant principal at Liberty ES, will serve in the same role at R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy.

The School Board also:

• Heard remarks from School Board Vice Chair Patsy Jordan in recognition of the Creekview HS FFA chapter and its accomplishments this school year;
• Heard remarks from School Board member Kelly Poole in appreciation of School Nutrition professionals and in honor of School Lunch Hero Day enjoyed serving at Sixes ES;
• In response to board consensus at the April School Board meeting, staff researched 26 Georgia school districts’ school athletic uniform apparel purchasing procedures.  School Board member Chance Beam had proposed the idea of considering a single districtwide vendor for school athletic uniforms and apparel, with the use of the vendor optional for teams.  After hearing the report, Mr. Beam suggested the school district survey stakeholders.  School Board member Kelly Poole said she supported polling coaches and athletic directors.
• Recognized Yes I Can Award winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized Life-Saving Award recipient, CCSD School Police Sgt. Chris Shaw. Learn more here;
• Recognized Georgia Scholar Ben Nguyen of Creekview HS. Learn more here;
• Recognized Governor’s Honors Program finalists. Learn more here;
• Recognized State Science and Engineering Fair winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized State K-5 Science Fair winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized regional and State Social Studies Fair winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized Exemplary ESOL Teacher of the Year Kerry Voytek of Teasley MS and Exemplary English Learner Student of the Year Deyvi Oxlaj Ixcoy of Cherokee HS. Learn more here;
• Recognized statewide literacy competition winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized Judy Johnson Memorial Scholarship winner Kaitlyn Lawrence of Cherokee HS. Learn more here;
• Recognized Science Olympiad district and state winners. Learn more here;
• Recognized Georgia High School Association State and Regional champions. Learn more here;
• Recognized Student Advisor to School Board and Student Delegates. Learn more here;
• Approved the annual state-required plan for Career and Technical Education program improvements.  School Board member Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison shared her appreciation for CCSD’s Career Pathways program, noting the 44 career pathways and numerous industry certifications students can achieve through the programs; and,
• Approved a Partnership Agreement renewal with First Baptist Church of Woodstock.  School Board Chair Janet Read Welch expressed her appreciation for the church’s willingness to allow CCSD use of its facilities for graduation and the many other ways it supports students, staff, and families.