CCBoE 08.12.2025 Meeting Notes
(The school website is not updated with the slides or video. I will update these notes with both once they are posted, along with more details)
Conversations are not transcribed.
Call To Order: 5:30PM
Invocation: Lewis Memorial and Marvin United Methodist Church Pastor Ben Wills
Pledge of Allegiance: Evans High School JROTC
Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0
Special Recognitions:
Greenbrier High School Girls 5A Team State Champtionship 3rd Place
Lakeside High School Boys 5A Golf Team State Championship 3rd Place
Georgia Department of Education John Hancock Award
Board Comments: Board members thanked JROTC, Pastor Wills and congratulated Golf Teams, as well as praised the John Hancock Award recipient school for dedication to cursive handwriting
Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0
Minutes of 7/22/2025, Work Session Meeting
Employee Travel
Program/Camp/Employee Participation Request
Lease/Use of Facilities
School Improvement Update, (Associate Superintendents Kristen Carroll & Steve Cummings)
Mr. Cummings
New Teacher Induction
196 new teachers, 35% are graduates of Columbia County Schools
3-day professional development
Open House
Dr. Smith, Martinez Elementary School
Welcome back event, shared mission
Busses arrived on time, even SPED busses
On-time breakfast and lunch
All students made it home
Dr. Carroll, Student Achievement Update
ELA
50% Proficient and above
#6 for American Literature (districts with more than 1000 students)
Reading skill level - about 80%
8th grade ELA #3, up from #7
7th grade, ELA #3
5th grade, 90% Developing and more, 65% proficient and more - #1
Math (wait for slides)
Science
HS Bio #5
5th Grade Science #1
Social Studies
Grade 8: #4
US History: #5 (students in advanced classes are exempt)
Allen: Thanked Dr. Carroll for presenting data with both developing and proficient numbers. Asked if there were other variables in the tests before 2022 or if the data could go back further?
Carroll: There are adjustments every year but before 2022, dealing with Covid challenges. Offered to pull the data together.
Allen: Were there new ELA Standards?
Carroll: Those changed this year.
Allen: So, 2022 is our base year?
Dekle: How many of the 181 districts have more than 1000 students?
Carroll: I’m not exactly sure off the top of my head but can get it.
Teasley: What is 5th grade doing? 5th grade is doing really well. I know all the teachers are doing their best, but 5th grade…. can we replicate that?
Flynt: The tests aren’t really meant to be a like….
Baker: This class though is trending high…. if you look at the past years.
Flynt: We use this data at the schools. We will use the data to make some changes, even in curriculum if we need to.
Teasley: Even US History, more motivated students aren’t taking regular US History.
Carroll: As we have changed the ACE Curriculum to be more aligned with curriculum with more rigor, we get higher results. We look at these results with teams to see if there are improvements.
Kent: Are we offering more advanced classes than other districts?
Flynt: It’s comparable but some don’t offer as much. Some that are listed as districts are individual schools.
Teasley: Our price/student is very different too based on these other districts.
Flynt: We take the data and narrow it down to schools. We use only the top 50% to compare. It’s very specific to school and content needs.
Dekle: This is data to continue to improve. Schools drill down on to continue to improve academic achievement.
Baker: The trend is that the scores are going up.
Allen: Asked to look at a specific math slide with a chart. If you’re drilling down to individual school level… From a district level, what can be attributed to district level decisions/policies?
Flynt: It’s all important. It’s a 3-legged stool. Importance at district, school and classroom levels. Provide professional development on ACE curriculum. These are not typical increases. We’ll be hitting a bit of a ceiling soon.
Allen: Was the district-level policy successful at grades 5+ but it didn’t work at grades 3 &4?
Flynt: We look at the school level for higher achievement. We will look at in-the-box tools (policy, procedure, ACE curriculum) before start innovating.
Allen: Said everyone did an excellent job
Kent: Asked if a particular school did great.
Flynt: You’ll see them soon. They’ll come here with awards. We couldn’t have last week’s press release with the data and then not come to the board meeting with something. Haven’t had time to really analyze yet.
Building Program:
Project Updates
N Columbia Ribbon Cutting next week: 8/19/2025 at 5PM
Lakeside HS
Finished PAC, Band Rooms, etc
Foundation for new gym
New classrooms completed, no portables
Evans HS:
Construction on PAC
CTAE labs mostly completed
Renovated classrooms
Batting cages - foundation poured, building delivered next week
Resolution to Close Old North Columbia ES Facility: Yay 5, No 0
Contract for Membership in RESA ($187,894): Yay 5, No 0
Allen: Is this required in GA?
Flynt: You need it to obtain services.
Kent: Did the price go up since last year?
Flynt: Yes, about $45K but there are additional benefits received. I would recommend this even if it wasn’t required because it’s a good program. We get quite a bit out of it for how much we pay.
Dekle: And it’s based on population, right? So, everyone pays on the student population?
Flynt: Yes.
School Calendar for 2026-2027 (Penny Jackson)
180 days of instruction
Teachers - 180 days of instruction + 10 days = 190
1 early release each semester
At the next meeting, will provide feedback on which option is preferred
Baker: What is different between the 3 calendars?
Jackson: 1st semester is the same for all 3. 2nd semester has alternatives with winter break. Memorial Day is late next year. Ending also with graduation dates.
Teasley: Can you add the graduation dates so families can see that?
Jackson: Yes
Operational Updates (Penny Jackson)
Bus Routes are getting established with the traffic pattern
1 additional route to Harlem HS and 1 to Greenbrier HS
8/18 - 11 bus candidates, 3 test this week
Active shooter drills
Earlier this year - this week. Using SAFE system
Electronics
consistency & compliance
students talking and playing UNO at lunch
Art, AP, etc need to take pictures for those classes
school issued tablets, looking at best for network
Important Dates:
Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences, 8/29
Labor Day Holiday, 9/1
Progress Reports, 9/5
CCSD Annual Retirement Reception, 9/10
Partner in Education Breakfast, 9/19
Excellence in Governance Institute Training, 9/25
Public Participation:
Priscilla Bence:
concerned citizen about porn & obscenity
Over the summer had a group review 32 books she wants banned from school libraries
Jessica Fisher:
Doesn’t agree with the book issue. Kids need to read more books. The stuff they are doing in school they aren’t learning from books
Teachers are happy with cell phone policy
Need to crack down on the bullying. Can’t be #1 if kids can’t learn due to bullying.
Need to incorporate a trade school into the schools
Marissa McKinney:
Student is dual enrolled but can’t be in the learning center. Spoken to several people at the school and hasn’t been resolved.
Karin Parham:
Representing Freedom to Read Coalition of Columbia County
Reminded board and district that according to GA Law, book challenges are supposed to come from parents/guardians of students in the actual schools.
Advocated for the school district to adopt the use of PLAY cards through the Georgia Library Service.
Katelyn (missed the last name):
Lost faith in district.
Child has been denied supports. The IEP was changed without an IEP meeting to remove supports. She was told it was a clerical error.
Executive Session: Affidavit executed: Yay 5, No 0
Personnel sheet: Yay 5, No 0
Board Items:
Baker: Foundation Meeting. Fundraising and will send more info to the rest of the board.
Allen: Wants to address 3 policies
Dekle: Suggested that those 3 policies all be submitted to the Superintendent before presenting at a public meeting.
Allen: began to object
Dekle: Made a motion to adjourn
Adjourn: Yay 4, No 1 (Katie Allen)