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The ADVANCE, January 6, 2021/Page 11A
Majority of Toombs School System
Operations Now in One Location
Photo by Rebekah Arnold
BOARD MEMBER RECOGNIZED — TCS Superintendent Barry Waller, left, recognizes out
going District 6 Representative Toni Wilkes for her eight years of service on the board,
Mrs. Wilkes is supported by her husband, Cordy Wilkes, at right.
In the Midst of a
Pandemic, TCHS
Celebrates Highest
Graduation Rate in
History of the School
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
All of Toombs County
School System operations,
except Toombs Central
Elementary School, will be
located on Bulldog Road
following the system ad
ministration’s move into
newly-renovated space.
School Superintendent
Barry Waller announced
at the last Board of Educa
tion meeting that the move
was planned for December
18. The technology depart
ment and half of the cur
riculum department have
already been relocated
there. After construction
of the bus shop, the goal is
to sell the old board prop
erties in Lyons. With this
goal completed, all county
school system operations
will be located on Bulldog
Road except Toombs Cen
tral Elementary.
The schools have suc
cessfully completed the
first semester of the 2020-
2021 year. Waller com
mended the staff, teach
ers, administrators and the
students at TCS for be
ing diligent to safely start
the school year on time.
The regular recognition at
board meetings of teachers
and students was put on
hold due to crowd restric
tions since March. The plan
is to resume those recogni
tions at the February board
meeting.
This meeting was the
last one for District 6 Rep
resentative Toni Wilkes,
who has served on the
Board of Education for two
four-year terms. Josh Dixon
will step into the position
for District 6 in January. In
recognizing Wilkes, Waller
said, “My dad used to tell
me, leave it better than you
found it. I think our board
members can agree, you’re
leaving it better than you
found it, and we thank you
for your service.”
Of the achievements
during this time, Wilkes is
most pleased with the facil
ity improvements and of
the student academic prog
ress. Wilkes said, “We have
built a new high school;
remodeled our old high
school and transitioned it
into our primary school;
remodeled Toombs Cen
tral; we did a massive face
lift to the "Pit" and added
turf; and we have a brand
new sports facility behind
our new high school that is
currently in use.”
These kinds of im
provements can only hap
pen with cooperation from
all system personnel and
school board members. “I
am proud of our ‘outward
appearance,”’ Wilkes con
tinued, “But the achieve
ment I am most proud
of is our ‘inward appear
ance.’ We have improved
our graduation rate by
astonishing amounts and
our students are competi
tive in any field when they
graduate from Toombs
County. This comes only
through cooperation, hard
work and prioritizing stu
dents over anything else.”
Being a school board
member pushed Wilkes to
learn new things about op
erations and finances. She
said, “By serving on this
board, I hope that I have
led by example. My prayers
and hopes are that in the
future, more women step
up and volunteer to serve
on this board. This system
needs a balance of voices
and backgrounds. I am
proud that I brought this to
the table. My tenure on this
board would not have been
successful without the un
derstanding and support
of my fellow board mem
bers, my family and this
community. I feel honored
and privileged to have been
given this opportunity and
will be forever grateful.”
During the meeting
Waller asked that prayers
be extended to the fami
lies of former TCS Super
intendent, Johnny Mack
Conner, and of former high
school principal Ralph
Hardy, who recently passed
away.
Toombs County
School Superintendent
Barry Waller observed
that 2020 has undoubted
ly been of the most chal
lenging years in the his
tory of the School System.
“The COVID crisis
caused an unprecedented
shut down of our schools
and we were left making
decisions to try to accom
modate our students who
were also dealing with the
uncertainty of not return
ing to school for the quar
ter of the school year.”
But in the midst of a
major health pandemic,
the school system has
been able to celebrate
news of the highest gradu
ation rate in school his
tory at Toombs County
High School of 95.1%.
“This accomplishment
eclipses the state of Geor
gia graduation rate for the
fourth consecutive year.
This celebration in the
midst of our challenges
serves as validation of our
teachers continued hard
work and dedication to
our students’ future.”
During the pandemic,
teachers, administrators
and other staff joined in
to assist in the distribu
tion and development of
virtual learning content,
drive-through/pick-up
packets and mobile meal
delivery sites for the last
eight weeks of the school
year. “These challenges
were met by our school
system staff by working
exhaustively to meet our
student’s needs,” Waller
said.
Perhaps the most
challenging aspect of all
was trying to help the
graduating class of 2020
experience a fitting trib
ute to the completion of
their years of school with
a graduation. “Thankfully,
through careful planning
and a commitment from
our board of education
and school system staff,
we were able to have a lim
ited seating graduation for
the class of 2020 at ‘The
Pit’ on Saturday, July 18,
and gain closure on their
senior year of high school
for our graduating class.
Throughout the sum
mer, school and system
staff worked diligently to
start school safely with
face to face instruction as
well as to provide a “virtu
al learning” option for stu
dents who would choose
to remain at home while
the COVID crisis con
tinues. “Our system was
able to use guidance from
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
as well as the Department
of Public Health and de
velop a plan to safely start
school on time.”
“During the first half
of this school year, we are
thankful our schools have
remained open and we
have been able to return
to our focus of student
learning and achievement
while keeping our staff
and students safe with en
hanced cleaning and sani
tizing measures, morning
temperature checks, and
thorough communica
tions with our local health
department in reporting
positive COVID cases
and quarantines,” Waller
commented.
“The first half of this
school year has looked
different from any other
year with the enhanced
safety measures in place,
however, our teachers and
staff met the challenge by
providing a safe and nur
turing environment for
our students to learn ef
fectively.”
City of Vidalia Ends
2020 On Sound Financial
Ground;New Airport
Director Named
Photo by Evan Riekhof
THANKS FOR SERVICE — Retiring Montgomery County
Coroner Jimmy Sharpton, left, received a plaque from
County Commission Chair Leland Adams. Sharpton was
recognized at the Commission's December 14 meeting
for his service to the county, Laurie Holland was recently
sworn into office at the county's new coroner,
Photo by Evan Riekhof
OUTGOING COMMISSIONER— District 3, Post 1 Com
missioner Greg Palmer, left, was thanked for his years of
service to the Montgomery County Commission at the
Commission's last session of 2020, He received a plaque
commemorating his years of service from Commissioner
Chair from Leland Adams. Ginger Byrd Morris was re
cently elected to fill this seat on the Commission,
MOCO Commission Authorizes
Purchase of New Vehicle for Sheriff
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
In its last meeting of
2020, the Montgomery
County Commission ap
proved budget and insur
ance premium resolutions,
authorized the purchase of
a new vehicle for the sher
iff’s office and bid farewell
to two county officials.
Meeting on December
14 at the Adult Literacy
Center, the Commission
approved an amendment
to an ordinance to permit
the Sunday sale of alcohol
as authorized by voters in
a June 9 special election.
Also, the Commission ap
proved a resolution to for
mally adopt the 2021 coun
ty budget of $4.5 million as
well as a resolution to use
$367,545.87 in insurance
premium tax proceeds to
fund rural fire services and
solid waste collection and
disposal.
In other matters, the
Commission approved the
purchase of a Dodge Char
ger for the Sheriff’s Office
at a cost of $26,318. The
Commission authorized
the transfer of funds from
the General Account to
Capital Projects to make
the purchase.
The Commission ap
proved a hazard mitiga
tion plan and gave a nod
to amending the schedule
of fees to increase beer
and wine retail license fees
from $650 to $700 annu
ally.
An application from
Bharat C. Patel for a beer
and wine retail license was
approved, as well as the
county’s 2021 Workman’s
Compensation policy.
During the session,
outgoing County Com
missioner Greg Palmer was
thanked for his years of ser
vice on the Commission,
as well as outgoing County
Coroner Jimmy Sharp-
ton. Both men were given
plaques to commemorate
their service.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The City of Vidalia
ended 2020 “in an ex
tremely good financial po
sition,” Finance Clerk Bill
Bedingfield announced at
the council’s last session of
the year on December 14.
Meeting at the City Multi
purpose Center in down
town Vidalia, the council
heard reports from depart
ment heads as part of its
end of the year duties.
Bedingfield, who re
tired at the end of Decem
ber, introduced his replace
ment, Amy Murray, at the
December session.
Bedingfield told coun
cil members that the local
option sales tax in Decem
ber “is amazing at $190,
101.06, up 16.53% year to
date.” He added that the
special local option sales
tax mirrors this trend, up
19.12% year to date.
Transportation tax
was up 15.03% year to date
while hotel/motel taxes
were down for the year by
11.51% and alcohol sales
taxes were up by 11.38%
for the year. He said the city
was at 99.65% of its budget
in December with the gen
eral fund at 91.67% for the
highest fund balances year
to date. So far, 26.61% of
ad valorem taxes have been
collected and outstanding
taxes will be turned over to
Peach State for collection.
He also took note of
the Vidalia Airport finances
achieving 114% of budget
ed revenue and with a fund
balance of $142,027.50.
He said that fuel sales at the
airport were 34,418 gallons
ahead of 2019 sales at this
same point.
Also, during the ex
ecutive session, the City
Council named interim
Airport Director Billy Ra
gan as the facility’s perma
nent director.
Vidalia Police Com
missioner Brian Scott re
ported that the Vidalia
Police Department has re
sponded to 29,274 calls for
service, up 25% over 2019.
He said that aggravated as-
Please see Vidalia page
12A