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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
O
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County gets state grant for
Old Hog Mountain Road work
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Reporter
After years of seeking assistance, Bar-
row County has received a state grant to
make improvements to Old Hog Mountain
Road between Ga. 124 and Ga. 211 in
Hoschton.
The grant from the Georgia Department
of Transportation will cover 100 percent
of the cost of widening, resurfacing, deep
patching and striping the 2.74-mile stretch
of road. The county Board of Commis
sioners approved acceptance of the grant
Tuesday night and also approved a $1.24
million bid from E.R. Snell Contractor,
Inc. to complete the work.
Construction is expected to last 90 days,
according to county documents. The state
will reimburse the county once the work
is done, county manager Mike Renshaw
said. GDOT has previously listed Old Hog
Mountain Road as having a “significant
crash severity index,” county engineering
department manager Darrell Greeson said,
adding that the county has sought help
from the state on the road multiple times
since 2008.
The project was also included in a
T-SPLOST referendum that county voters
rejected in 2012. The work on Old Hog
Mountain Road isn't the only project in
Barrow the state is funding.
Commissioners also approved an agree
ment with Precision Planning, Inc. for
preliminary engineering of phase 3 of the
West Winder Bypass project for $1,385
million, which will be covered entirely by
GDOT.
In other business Tuesday, the board:
•accepted the 2016 Georgia Emergency
Management Agency-Emergency Perfor
mance Grant in the amount of $21,310.
The grant requires a 100-percent local
match, but that amount is already met
through salaries and other expenses bud
geted for by the county EMS department,
Renshaw said.
Property tax millage rate approved
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners approved the property tax millage
rate for the 2016 digest at its Tuesday meeting,
The millage rate has been set at 11.539 mills for the incorporated segments, 9.372
mills for the unincorporated segments, 18.5 mills for the Barrow County School
System and 2.28 mills for the fire district.
Potential names for new
elementary school released
By Al ex Pace
News-Journal Reporter
The new Barrow County School System
elementary school will soon get its name.
The following are finalists for the name
of the school, which is set to open in the
2017-18 school year:
•Baldwin Elementary
•Berry Elementary
•Cedar Creek Elementary
•Horizon Elementary
•McNeal Road Elementary
•Winder Elementary
Surveys are being sent out to families in
the attendance zones.
Those results will be brought back to
the Barrow County Board of Education.
The official vote to name the school could
come in December.
OSD continued from 1A
“Those are circumstanc
es that we can’t change,”
he said. “All we can change
is to hopefully give that kid
the opportunity to be in an
environment that we know
is progressive, innovative
and trying all the things
that we can try.”
Other BOE members
questioned why the consti
tution needs to be amended
when the state already has
the authority to intervene
in failing schools. Sen.
Miller noted the state can
only intervene with the
local school board's con
sent under current regula
tions.
But BOE member Lynn
Stevens questioned the
state's intent in the amend
ment.
“There's nothing that
you are offering in this
amendment that couldn’t
be waived by the state
school superintendent,”
said Stevens. “So there’s
no reason for a constitu
tional amendment unless
you just want to give the
governor more power to
appoint someone from a
for-profit organization to
try to do this.”
If approved, the governor
would appoint a superin
tendent for the OSD. Rep.
England stressed that the
appointee would be held
accountable to the gover
nor and legislators.
Schools that failed to
meet state standards for
three consecutive years
and showed no improve
ment would be eligible for
the list. The OSD super
intendent could then close
the school; make it a char
ter school: work with the
current administration; or
directly manage the school.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the
BOE:
•received an update on
its Academic Parent Teach
er Teams program, which
is being piloted at Auburn
and Yargo elementary
schools. Both schools have
BOE approves
same millage rate
The Barrow County Board of Education is keeping
its millage rate the same this year.
The BOE officially approved keeping the 18.5 mill
rate at its Sept. 27 meeting. There was no public com
ment at any of the BOE's three public hearings.
The millage rate will remain the same, but some
property taxes will increase due to higher assess
ments. Taxes on a house with a fair market value of
$100,000 are estimated to increase $0.49 based on the
assessments.
seen a large increase in
parent participation.
•learned students will
have additional credit
recovery options starting
in January. Foothills Char
ter Education High School
will offer credit recovery
on campus of the district's
two high schools. After-
school courses and sum
mer school are planned.
•learned its Internet
Safety and Acceptable Use
policy has been updated.
The policy will be open
for public comment until
the BOE's regular Novem
ber meeting.
•discussed its custodi
al services. Staff are not
satisfied with the current
company and are looking
to use Primero Staffing as
an alternative.
•got its first look at the
proposed 2017-18 school
calendar. The draft is being
sent to school governance
teams.
VOTING ITEMS
The BOE will consid
er several voting items on
Oct. 4. Some may include:
•the exemplary board
review.
•a contract with Pro
Care Therapy Services for
a special education para-
professional for a blind/
visually-impaired student.
The contract would total
$35 an hour (not to exceed
$40,000).
•waiving the requirement
for the “school naming
policy” when naming the
new amphitheater. Orga
nizers may look to name
the facility for a sponsor or
a generic name to draw a
broader audience.
•its 2017 board meeting
days.
•a guaranteed maximum
price of $3.9 million for
the amphitheater.
•policies on assignment
to schools and transfers/
withdrawals.
•its 2017 local school
board training plan.
MONDAY RECOGNITION
Tonya Royal, Barrow County School System director of Elementary and
Pre-K Education; Mindy Reid, Bethlehem Elementary School principal;
Chris McMichael, BCSS Superintendent; Amy Jacobs, Commissioner
Bright From The Start-Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning;
Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal; Connie Ellington; Bright From The Start
Mascot and Stephanie Blank, Naserian Foundation CEO are shown at this
week’s announcement honoring Ellington.
Teacher continued from 1A
Ellington said she believes her “primary
role as a Pre-K teacher is to ensure that
our newest Georgia students begin their
formal schooling with a holistic education
and passion and love for learning. The
classroom is filled with encouragement
and love, a safe place to take risks for
learning, and developmentally appropriate
practices with teachers utilizing purpose
ful reflection and action for each individ
ual student.”
“Children who feel protected, valued
and empowered with confidence are
self-motivated learners,” the teacher said.
The beauty of teaching four and five
year olds, Ellington said, is that they
believe they can do almost anything, and
my assistant teacher and I take that atti
tude and run with it.
Barrow County School superintendent
Chris McMichale said: “This is the first
year for the state award, and Mrs. Elling
ton has set the bar high. We value not
only her leadership at her school, but the
leadership she has shown throughout the
entire Pre-K program has been excep
tional. Mrs. Ellington is a remarkable
educator.”
“I am honored and humbled to represent
the many wonderful Pre-K teachers and
assistant teachers who work selflessly and
tirelessly for some of Georgia’s youngest
school children,” Ellington said. “I am
excited to expand my advocacy for both
the program and its children in my role
as a Georgia Pre-K Teacher of the Year.”
Ellington’s principal also spoke of her
teachingt ability.
“Connie, what you are able to do with
our students every day is incredible;
you make magic happen,” BES princi
pal Mindy Reid said as she congratulat
ed Ellington. “Our students benefit from
your wisdom, your guidance, and your
love. This recognition comes as no sur
prise to those of us who know Connie and
get to see the amazing things she does
with students each day. She is truly one of
the most genuine and dedicated educators
in our great state.”
“Child-centered classroom instruction
is a balance of individual, small group,
whole group, teacher-directed and stu
dent-directed instruction,” Ellington said.
“Each child is one-of-a-kind, so it is
important that my instruction is focused,
and my classroom environment organized
to meet the individual needs of unique
learners. My ultimate goal is to foster a
love for learning and discovery, while
setting a foundation for an education that
will reach well beyond my classroom
walls.”
Ellington was recognized with the
honor Monday morning during a special
ceremony at BES.
STUDENTS HAPPY FOR THEIR TEACHER
Connie Ellington’s BES Pre-K students joined the celebration in the Media
Center and sang “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” for all. Others pictured are BCSS
administrators, staff and Barrow County Board of Education member Lynn
Stevens.
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