MoCo BOE Discusses Improvement Plans
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At the Montgomery County Board of Education’s October 17 session, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Beverly Faircloth provided a synopsis of work being completed within the School District on a daily basis. “Montgomery County is the first District I have been in that truly continuously reviews and upholds its improvement plans, which is one of the most encouraging aspects of our School System,” Faircloth commented. She explained to the Board that each individual school within the District evaluates itself and crafts plans of action to be taken at the individual schools and at the District level. The elementary school, middle/high school, and District all have goals addressing issues, such as attendance and parental engagement. Faircloth shared that the hiring of Truancy Officer Dr. Mark Davidson had been very beneficial to the improvement of attendance by students, and her hopes that that trend will continue. Montgomery County Elementary School is also focusing on improving math and reading scores, which is why the District has imposed opportunities for students to work with remediation instructors for high frequency tutoring. According to Faircloth, this tutoring is beneficial for the school as it allows small groups of students to consistently receive intense training.
Montgomery County Middle and High Schools are focusing on the improvement of passing rates and preparation for life outside of high school, as Principal Dr. Scott Barrow explained that he is currently monitoring curriculum via meetings with teachers throughout the year, during which they present their curriculum, tools, lessons, and other information. He also shared that the school is working on improving college readiness as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will hopefully be included within the economics curriculum in the future.
Action Items
A house adjacent to the Montgomery County Middle/ High School on College Street will be moved. A sealed bid of $5,000 was accepted for the real estate. This structure was purchased by the Board last year and listed for sale with the requirement of the buyer to move the structure to make room for further developments for the school on the property. Lazaria Williams was hired as a full-time special education paraprofessional, and Jessica Lynn Powell was also approved as an employee.
Bus driver pay was altered to compensate drivers who transport students to and from the Southeastern Early College and Career Academy (SECCA).
Superintendent’s Report
Upcoming Events
Superintendent Stan Rentz notified the Board of the upcoming Farm Day event for the elementary school students, which will allow them to learn more about agriculture from various local experts. He also informed Board of the current READATHON fundraiser in which elementary students are participating. The event encourages literacy throughout the student body.
Graduation Rate
Rentz told the Board that the official graduation rate for Montgomery County High School had been announced to be 97.1%, as the school continues to have the highest rate in the area.
Athletics
Senior Cam Wallace is receiving a lot of attention from Division I football recruiters, according to Rentz, as Michigan State University Head Coach Mel Tucker recently made a trip to the high school to talk with Wallace about scholarship opportunities.
Special Education
Montgomery County Special Education Director Alicia Hartley was spotlighted through the Georgia Department of Education’s mobile platforms as one of the newest special education directors within the state.
Next Meeting
The Montgomery County BOE will hold a work session on Thursday, November 10, at 5 p.m., and a regular session on Monday, November 14, at 6 p.m.
