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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
JCSS looking for $3 million grant
The Jackson County School System
is in the process of applying for a $3
million grant to help fund a blended
program of high school and college
classes designed to better prepare stu
dents for the workforce.
In cooperation with a number of
local major industries, the system
is looking to launch a “Empower
College & Career Center” that would
take its current vocational programs
to the next level. Part of that would
be working with Lanier Tech and
the University of North Georgia for
students to take college level classes
while still in high school focused on
preparing for a career.
The system expects to know if it will
receive the grant in December.
Superintendent April Howard said
last week that local business leaders
tell the system that there are “signif
icant workforce development issues
in Jackson County.” In addition to the
academic skills, business leaders also
want to see more development of “soft
skills,” such as showing up for work
on-time and being able to cooperate
with co-workers.
Both the Banks County and City of
Commerce school systems are look
ing to join the JCSS efforts, Howard
said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Jackson
County BOE received the following
reports at its meeting last Thursday:
• heard that the re-roofing proj
ects at Maysville and North Jackson
elementary schools are set to begin
May 25 and be completed by July 14.
Integrated Building Services is the
contractor. Monday night, the BOE
approved the contracts for the project.
• heard an update on a grading
and drainage repair project at West
Jackson Middle School. That project
now requires state permits because it’s
within the Atlanta Metro region.
• heard a report on a new securi
ty and safety program that is being
implemented in all the system’s
schools. Those visiting the schools
will now be required to show photo
identification upon entering a coun
ty school. That ID will be matched
with a state database of known sex
offenders.
• approved a new organizational
chart for district leaders.
• approved the 2017-2018 salary
schedule which includes raises for
teachers.
Union Church Road work begins, lane closures planned
Crews are working to improve
Union Church Road in Braselton
this month.
Baldwin Paving Company, Inc.,
has begun adding High Friction
Surface Treatment, (HFST) to five
locations along Union Church Road
located in south Hall County.
Crews will begin work in the eve
nings at 7 p.m. and work overnight
until 6 a.m. each weekday.
Single lane closures will be
required to complete this work with
flagging operators directing traffic
during the work hours. No weekend
lane closures will take place for this
project which should be completed
by May 30. weather-permitting.
Serve the City continued from 1A
Jackson jobless rate
second lowest in state
Jackson County’s jobless numbers in March were
tied for the second lowest in the state at 3.8 percent.
The state had 53 counties with jobless rates under
5.0 percent. Oconee County leads the state at 3.6
percent. Jackson, Cherokee and Forsyth counties were
tied at 3.8 percent, second in the state.
The state had 17 counties with unemployment rates
of 7.0 percent or higher. The largest number of coun
ties, 63, had jobless rates of less than 5.0 percent.
The Northeast Georgia region had a jobless rate of
4.6 percent and Georgia’s unemployment for January
was 5.1 percent.
Of the surrounding counties, Jackson County is
second to Oconee. Unemployment rates for adjacent
counties are Oconee. 3.6 percent; Barrow, 4.2 percent;
Banks, 4.3 percent; Madison, 4.4 percent; Gwinnett,
4.3 percent; Hall, 4.0 percent; and Clarke 4.9 percent.
All were lower than the rates in February.
Jackson County’s jobless rate was lower for March
than the revised January number of 4.0 percent. The
county’s rate also was less in 2017 than the 4.2 percent
for February 2016.
The state’s unemployment rate also went down. It
was .3 of a point less than February and .4 of a point
for March 2017 than the same month a year ago.
The region’s rate also improved. It was 4.6 percent
this year versus 5.0 percent for the same month last
year and 5.3 percent for February 2017.
Jackson County had 1,286 people unemployed for
January, according to state figures. It had a workforce
of 34,18 and 32,900 were working.
Arcade council
supports college
and career center
BY CHARLES PHELPS
The Arcade City Council unanimously approved a let
ter of support for the proposed the Empower College &
Career Center at Monday night’s city council meeting.
Chad Bingham, of Bingham Insurance Group, LLC
and the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce,
presented the council with Empower College & Career
Center proposal.
Bingham said the Jackson County School System is
applying for a $3 million Georgia College and Career
Academy Grant.
“We believe we have a fairly good shot because we
have more than one school system in our county and
there’s one of these grants set aside for a multi-school-
district county,” Bingham said.
Along with the grant, the center would be funded by
capital equipment grants. Local Option Sales Tax rev
enue. state and local educational funding and business
investments through supplies, equipment, donations and
expertise.
In order to apply for the grant, the center needs 150
letters of support from individuals, organizations and
businesses.
Partners already showing support for the center
include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Jackson County,
Jackson County Family Connection. Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office, Lanier Technical College, University
of North Georgia and more.
The mission of the center is to help empower “learn
ers for success in an ever-changing world,” Bingham
said.
Pathways for the center would include agriculture,
architecture, arts, human services, law, marketing, sci
ence, government and more.
The target date for the center to open as a full-time
site would be the 2019-20 school year. The center
would be at the current Jackson County Comprehensive
High School once the proposed Braselton area high
school facility is complete.
The center will be open for all high-school grade
levels and would allow students to graduate high school
with an associate’s degree.
In other business, the council unanimously approved
the renewal of Jerry Weitz as the city’s planning and
development consultant.
Principal continued from 1A
He received a master’s in educational leadership
in 2014 and earned a bachelor of science in business
administration from Georgia College & State Universi
ty in 1994. He has an associate of science degree from
Middle Georgia College.
Smith took a job in Tampa “right out of college.”
He grew up in Johnson County, where his parents and
sister still live.
The move to Commerce “has been everything that I
could have wished for.”
Drew, who will end his tenure June 14, has been in
education for more than half a century. He started in
1964 at what is now Quitman County High School.
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CLEANING AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
Volunteers clean at the Commerce Boys & Girls
Club as part of Galilee Christian Church’s Serve
the City. Photo submitted
CREWS WORK IN DOWNTOWN
Crews work to spruce up downtown Jefferson as
part of Serve the City. Photo submitted
CLEARING DEBRIS
A volunteer clears the debris at the historic
Woodbine Cemetery in Jefferson.
Photo by Clark Buffington
WORKING ON YARD
Galilee Christian Church volunteers clean up
yards at Jefferson residences. Photo submitted
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