By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer ….
By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Backpacks are filled and hallways are bustling as the area schools prepare for students to return for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. Montgomery County Schools, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, and Vidalia City Schools will welcome students back first, as the districts kick off the new year on Friday, August 2. administrators will lead Montgomery County Schools this year, as the district welcomes new Superintendent Ronda Hightower, recently promoted Assistant Superintendent Scott Barrow, and principals at every school.
Hightower was appointed as the school’s superintendent in April following the resignation of former Superintendent Stan Rentz, which was announced during the January 16 Board of Education meeting and became effective at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year. She most recently served as the Associate Superintendent at Laurens County Schools, and has experience working as a school board secretary, paraprofessional, teacher, assistant principal, principal, director, associate superintendent, and interim superintendent. Hightower earned her undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Brewton-Parker continued from page
College, and obtained a doctorate in educational leadership from Georgia Southern University. She also has been known as a champion for literacy throughout the state, having served on the Governor’s Education Advisory Council and Community Literacy Task Force.
When asked her thoughts on the upcoming school year, Hightower remarked, “I am beyond thrilled and honored to get to be a part of the Montgomery team. As I have said before, our school system was already headed in the right direction. Now, I get to come in and help build on a solid foundation that was already in place.”
She continued, “Our focus for our upcoming school year is ‘We Believe in YOU!’ We believe in every single student, and we believe in each other. We believe that together we can and we will make a difference in the lives of our students. Throughout this school year, it is my hope that the students and staff of Montgomery will embrace this, and soar to even higher heights in academics, athletics, and in their own personal growth.”
Hightower said that the Board has committed themselves to following the school system’s three strategic goals, which are to improve student success, improve culture and climate, and improve organizational and operational effectiveness. “Staying focused on these 3 goals will concentrate our efforts, time, and finances to serve our students and staff in the best way possible,” she emphasized. “I ask our parents and our community to join us in showing our students and staff, ‘We Believe in YOU!’” In addition to Hightower, former Montgomery County Middle/High School Principal Scott Barrow will serve as the District’s Assistant Superintendent. Barrow has worked tirelessly throughout the summer to ensure that the buildings and grounds of the school are at their best, and has committed himself to ensuring students have everything in place to be successful.
Former Montgomery County Elementary School (MCES) Assistant Principal Candace Keen will move into the principal role at MCES this year. Keen first joined the Montgomery County School System in 2016, and has since worked in various roles throughout the district and specifically, the elementary school. She will work alongside former Montgomery County High School Special Education Teacher Bo Boatright, who will serve as Assistant Principal.
“The 2024-2025 school year is going to be absolutely amazing! Our teachers and staff members have been working hard to prepare an environment where every child will grow and succeed!” Keen commented on the school year. “Montgomery County Elementary will be exploring the galaxy of learning this year, so grab your “SPACE” gear and get ready to “SOAR” as eagles! Hold on tight, we may be going where gravity can’t hold us down!”
Montgomery County Middle School will be led by new principal Tracey McNeal, who will join the district for the first time this year. McNeal formerly worked for Jeff Davis County Schools as a teacher and at Appling County Elementary School as an Assistant Principal. She received a bachelor’s of science in middle grades education and a master’s of middle grades education with concentration in reading degrees from Georgia Southern University, and earned an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Valdosta State University, where she also studied gifted and talented education.
“I am excited to start this new school year and look forward to meeting everyone! Our dedicated teachers and staff are ready to support and inspire,” McNeal remarked about the school year. “Parents and guardians, your partnership is vital, and we value your involvement in your child’s education. Together we will set goals, embrace challenges, and make this year memorable. Together, we will achieve great things!”
At Montgomery County High School, former Assistant Principal Will Adams has been promoted to the Principal role. Adams is a 2008 graduate of Montgomery County High School, and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from East Georgia State College. He also received a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree in Secondary Science from Western Governor’s University. Adams had taught science at the school since 2016, but moved into the assistant principal role last year.
When asked about the upcoming school year, Adams shared, “I’m very excited for what the new school year holds! We have awesome teachers that love our students, and do what it takes to help them be successful. Our students work hard and have shown that even though we are a small school, we can compete academically with surrounding schools. I’m proud of how far we have come and am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this year.”
Robert Toombs Christian Academy Meanwhile, Robert Toombs Christian Academy will also act under new leadership this year, as Scott Tuck was selected to succeed former Headmaster Mike Lothridge, who served in the position for a year following former Headmaster Travis Absher’s resignation. Tuck has taught for 27 years, and has coached baseball and softball for over a decade. He graduated Vidalia High School before obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Auburn University, a Master’s of Education Degree in Health and Physical Education from Georgia Southern University, and an Education Specialist Degree in Brain-based Teaching and Teacher Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. The educator has also been actively involved at RTCA for 21 years. He married RTCA Class of 1992 graduate Lori Nobles Tuck and the couple has two children: Sarah, who graduated from the school in 2019, and Andrew, who graduated in 2023. Tuck most recently served at the school as a high school science teacher and assistant baseball and softball coach during the past four years.
“Since taking the role as the new Head of School at Robert Toombs Christian Academy, I have been both encouraged and humbled by the support I have received,” Tuck emphasized. “As we embark on the new school year, I am excited to see the great things the Lord has in store for us as students, staff, and families here at RTCA. Among other Christian values, we will be placing an emphasis on stewardship, caring for both the things and people God has placed in our lives. We seek to help our students grow in academics, athletics, and spiritual leadership. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to the new school year!”
Vidalia City Schools
Vidalia City Schools will kick the new school year off with a new superintendent, and a new school start and end time.
Former J.R. Trippe Middle School Principal and Assistant Superintendent Sandy Reid was selected as the district’s new superintendent following the announcement of longtime Superintendent Garrett Wilcox’s retirement, which was effective at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. She has been working throughout the summer to ensure that Vidalia City Schools is functioning at its best, and that all details necessary for a great academic year have been addressed.
“I am super excited to be able to impact our community in this role. I love kids, I love people, and I love Vidalia City School District. I’ve been here for going into 24 years and I cannot imagine being anywhere else. It is such a cornerstone in the community – our community is so dependent upon the quality, type, and success of students that come out of Vidalia City Schools,” Reid emphasized. “I know that it is a very important position – I know that it is a position that impacts a lot of people and a lot of lives in a lot of areas, and I’m very thankful that I was trusted with this position. I just can’t imagine working with a better group of people. So, I’m super excited about going into this school year, about continuing on the tradition of excellence that we are known for, but also looking for areas of opportunity for where we can grow and improve. We already hit the ground running; we have been working all summer on our administrative teams, as a district office team, and with staff members in the schools, just looking at those different areas where there is room for growth and how we can attack those areas.”
Reid continued, sharing her excitement at the recent strategic planning and leadership development that the school had been completing throughout the summer.
“I am just so excited to have that blueprint and have a plan to hit the ground running,” she said. “I [also] think [leadership development] is critical. We are responsible for developing leadership within. When one person steps out, we have to have someone ready to step in; when I leave, there should be someone ready to take this position. When a principal decides they want to advance their career in a way, there should be someone waiting, prepared and equipped, to fill that position. We really focus on ensuring that our teacher leaders that are interested in administration and our principals are prepared, and that they understand and are involved in the school improvement process. You’ll see a real push this year in regards to the school improvement planning process and the involvement of our teacher leaders and leadership teams, and how that rolls down into the staff that are not on the leadership teams to equip them with that school improvement knowledge.”
She added, “It’s just like developing a good athletic program or a good fine arts program – you can’t focus on just what you have on the field now, you have to be able to focus on who is stepping into those position so that you don’t have a gap in your playing when you graduate someone or when someone leaves. We have to look at it in that perspective all the way down to the coaching. It is my responsibility to coach someone to step into this seat. It is the principals’ responsibility and the central office’s responsibility to ensure that we are coaching principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders to be able to advance in their career. So, it is part of the job and it is a very important part of the job so that no child –regardless of what era that they come through Vidalia City School District –are impacted negatively by lack of quality leadership.”
Reid also commented on the new school day schedules, which are as follows: J.D. Dickerson Primary School: Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. School is in session 8:05 a.m. until 3:10 p.m. Bus-stop pick-up will be at 7:05 a.m.
Sally D. Meadows Elementary School: Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. School is in session 8:10 a.m. until 3:20 p.m. Bus-stop pick-up will be at 7:05 a.m.
J.R. Trippe Middle School: Drop-off begins at 7:15 a.m. School is in session 7:35 a.m. until 2:50 p.m. Bus-stop pick-up will be at 6:45 a.m.
Vidalia High School: Drop-off begins at 7:15 a.m. School is in session 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Bus-stop pick-up will be at 6:45 a.m.
The superintendent shared that these changes came as a result of the district’s desire to maximize instructional time for elementary school students. “We were looking at our times for K-5; we did not have enough time in the instructional day. It was something that we heard from all staff members – our teachers and administrators. They wanted us to begin looking into our instructional day, so we started doing research on what best practices are in regards to start and end times and what’s developmentally appropriate for students,” she explained. “We also took into consideration that a lot of our middle and high school kids were having extracurricular activities in the afternoon. We took all of those factors into account, not weighing any one factor over another except for the instructional time because that was our key focus: ‘What is best for students and their instruc- continued from page
tion and academic development?’” She continued, saying the school contacted other districts that had dealt with similar issues for guidance, and sent a series of surveys to families, which allowed them to work with any individual situations that were problematic, such as families who required their older students to take the younger students to the bus stop.
“Obviously, we have roughly 2,500 students in our school system – not everyone is going to like the schedule; all I can do is hope that people have trust enough in the system to know that we considered all of the factors and what was best for all of the students. Unfortunately, it did create a few issues for individual families; there are some mixed opinions about what is developmentally appropriate for younger students in regards to instructional time, and then also, what is developmentally appropriate for what time an older student should get up. Although we did consider those things, when we look at all of that in totality, we made the best decision that we could regarding the ultimate outcome, which is what is best for our students. So, I wish we could make everyone happy, but with 2,500 students, it will never be possible,” Reid concluded. Wheeler County Schools
Wheeler County Schools will be the next institution to resume classes, as the district opens its doors to students on Monday, August 5.
The school system is currently being led by Interim Superintendent and Wheeler County Elementary School Principal Quent Floyd, who was appointed to fill this role, which was vacated by the resignation of former Superintendent Suzanne Couey in March. Floyd’s successor is anticipated to be chosen no later than November 1.
Floyd joined the Wheeler County Schools staff in 2023 as a part-time elementary school principal in 2023 after having retired from Bleckley County Primary School as principal. He earned an Associate’s Degree from Middle Georgia College (now known as Middle Georgia State University), a Bachelor’s degree from Georgia College and State University, and a doctorate from the University of the Cumberlands. He previously taught at a private facility within Bleckley County for troubled youth (Middle Georgia Wilderness Institute) and Houston County Schools. When asked about the upcoming school year, Floyd said, “We are excited to begin the 2024-2025 school year. There are three groups of people who must work well together for a school system to be successful. Our parents send us the best children anywhere, and they will work hard to have a successful year and become better each day. All our faculty and staff are wonderful, dedicated professionals who are determined to keep our students safe and help them become better each day. We also have some very loving and supportive parents who will support our students and faculty to be sure students get better each day. With our students, faculty and parents working together, I foresee an amazing school year with lots of growth for the Wheeler County Bulldogs. To go along with our Vision of Every One A Leader and our Mission of Inspire Care Support Lead , we will all try to be better each day. If students, parents, and faculty all work towards being better each day, then the sky is the limit.” Toombs County Schools
Toombs County Schools will welcome students back next, as classes resume on Wednesday, August 7.
Most everything is the same this year at Toombs County Schools, except for administration at Toombs Central Elementary School, where Wendie Sikes will work as the school’s principal. Sikes is a 2004 graduate of Toombs County High School, and has worked within the school system as a teacher since 2008. She earned a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Physics from Georgia Southern University, and Masters of Arts of Teaching in Secondary Science, educational specialist degree in teaching and learning, and an educational leadership certificate from the University of West Georgia. Most recently, Sikes has served as the Toombs County Middle School Assistant Principal for two years.
“I have always looked forward to a new school year and this year is no exception. I am excited to be joining Toombs Central as the new principal. I have always believed that the work of our schools and educators doesn’t stop at the school campus,” she remarked about her new role. “I look forward to welcoming staff and students back to school and working to build relationships with families and the community to make this school year a success for our children.”
Superintendent Barry Waller also commented on the new school year, saying, “As always, we are excited to start another school year. There is something special about the first day of school, and with that setting sail on another year. We welcome back our staff and students from summer break and are eager to partner with our parents, and community to ensure success for all of our stakeholders in Toombs County.”
Vidalia Heritage Academy
Vidalia Heritage Academy students will return to school last, as they begin their new academic year on Friday, August 9.
Longtime Headmaster Jeff McCormick spoke on the new school year, saying, “We are very excited about the upcoming school year. Our theme this year is “Relentless”and it comes from Hebrews 11:6. What that means for us is a relentless pursuit of excellence in Christ in four different areas—relentless in our worship relentless in our education and discipleship, relentless in our relationships, and relentless in being ministry and mission minded. In addition, we have joined a new league for all of our varsity athletics and arts competitions. Our entrance into the GIAA allows for us to be more geographically located with other private schools in Southeast Georgia, and also raises the level of competition that we will face. I’m very confident in all of our teachers, staff and coaches to make all of this transition go seamlessly, and continue to pursue Christ in all that we do. Go Eagles!”
All districts stressed their hopes that students will have a wonderful school year, and encouraged parents and the community to come alongside the school systems to help local youth succeed.
