School Board celebrates successes, renews charter

Dr. David Murphy of the Board Office surprised Towery with a Partner in Education Award, calling her to the front of the room to receive a certificate of appreciation and words of kindness for consistently bringing a positive attitude and support to the school system, even in retirement.

Superintendent John Hill provided several updates, starting with the ribbon cutting from earlier in the day at the brand-new Union County Elementary School off Beasley Circle – a $36 million building that was erected without a single penny of debt.

“It was amazing,” Hill said. “We are very grateful and we’re very blessed to have that facility, funded by ESPLOST. We’re very blessed to have an amazing staff and Board of Education that worked diligently to ensure it was completed a little bit under budget and ahead of schedule.”

Hill was also proud to announce a recent visit by Dr. April Aldridge, the Deputy Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for the Georgia Department of Education.

Aldridge presented “Masters of Mathematics” banners and ribbons to Union County Elementary, Middle and High for growth in math proficiency among students, and the Middle School earned an additional ribbon for demonstrating strong achievement in math.

Dr. Murphy then shared that Union County Schools had achieved several rigorous milestones this school year, including full accreditation through Cognia and re-certification of the system’s CTAE Program, College & Career Academy and STEM Program – all with flying colors.

And counter to baseless social media claims that the system was somehow improperly chartered, Murphy announced the schools were ready to renew their Charter System Contract, which the board approved that evening for next-day transmission to the Georgia Department of Education.

“This will be our third charter,” Murphy said. “On Feb. 20, 2014, the State Board of Education approved our first charter contract for July 2014 through June 2019. Mr. Gary Steppe was the first superintendent to apply for that beginning in 2013.

“On Jan. 4, 2019, we submitted a charter renewal application for our second consecutive charter. And then, on March 28, (2019), the State Board of Education approved our second and current contract for July 2019 through June 2024.

“Then, on Sept. 13, (2019), we realized we were starting a College & Career Academy – that’s an innovative feature. So, we petitioned the state for an amendment to allow us to add the College & Career Academy as a sixth innovative feature. On Dec. 12, 2019, the State Board of Education approved the requested amendment.

“Then in mid-2023, Cognia notified Mr. Hill that our accreditation process was going to be deferred from a five-year cycle to a six-year cycle, so we would be put off from 2024 to 2025. We talked about it, and realizing the enormity of all of these, we wanted to make sure that everything aligned.

“So, in August of 2023, I reached out to the Charter Innovations Division to request a one-year extension to our five-year contract to align with the Cognia accreditation cycle. The State Board of Education approved that amendment for a one-year extension on Sept. 28, 2023, at their regular board meeting.

“Which brings us to our current charter renewal. We made the final submission on Dec. 19, 2024. The initial visitation occurred on Feb. 20, 2025. We were notified on March 20 that the state board would vote on our charter at its March 27 meeting.”

According to Murphy, the State Board of Education was so impressed with Union County Schools – the 2024 Georgia State Charter System of the Year – that it invited school officials to present the system’s charter renewal down in Atlanta instead of the usual virtual presentation.

Hill, Murphy and School Finance Director Karen Bundy made the trip, and Union County Schools served as the only system to present its renewal in person that day.

“That was on the first day of the (state) board meeting,” Murphy said. “The next day, (on March 27), they officially approved the 2025-2030 charter contract. And the only thing that remains, Mr. Chairman (Tony Hunter), is your signature and Mr. Hill’s signature, and I will send this thing quickly in the morning for our full charter renewal.”

Board Member Jason McCarter commended Murphy and the Board Office for their work on completing the charter process and showing “how well this school operates, how it’s recognized by third parties that are not tied to us in any way, shape or form.”

“The second thing that you’ve proven, which, albeit, is probably not as big a hurdle, is to show that there’s a lot of people on social media that think they know everything and really don’t,” McCarter said to applause.

Moving on, Murphy discussed some school-related legislation that passed out of the Georgia General Assembly this year, including a new school safety law, House Bill 268, which was drafted in response to the school shooting tragedy at Apalachee High School last September.

HB 268 advocates for student safety by implementing a mandatory mobile panic alarm system in schools, a statewide alert system to report and investigate threats, faster transfer of student records and more, and Murphy said the local school safety team had all the bases covered “very well.”

He then described House Bill 340 concerning student wellbeing, specifically a ban on cellphones in classrooms between kindergarten and eighth grade. Murphy said the ban translates to a “bell to bell removal” – from the moment classes begin to the time students are dismissed to go home.

Other devices are included in the ban, like smartwatches and tablets – “anything that connects to the internet without it being needed for school.” All devices must be tethered, meaning not in student pockets or bookbags, and Murphy said schools will have enforcement discretion.

Murphy discussed the passage of the Riley Gaines Act of 2025, which bans biological males from participating in girls’ sports and using female-designated facilities like restrooms and locker rooms in Georgia schools, prompting applause by the School Board and attendees alike.

While on the subject, he took time to knock down another rumor he had heard, this one about the new Elementary School having gender-neutral bathrooms. Murphy said that was untrue, assuring all that the building has clearly marked boys’ and girls’ restrooms, to additional applause.

“Then we have House Bill 451, which authorizes Georgia’s public schools to offer hunter safety instruction for students in grades six through 12, starting with the 2026-2027 school year,” Murphy said. “This could be taught through our Police Department and be an added opportunity for our youth.”

Remarking on House Bill 217, Murphy said this new law expands the statewide Dual Achievement Program for CTAE students.

The Dual Achievement Program acts in the same way as the Dual Enrollment Program by enabling students to dual enroll in CTAE courses to obtain credit for both high school and career/technical postsecondary education, “allowing them to get to their careers earlier.”

Switching gears, senior student Nevaeh Elliott offered the quarterly update for the Union County 4-H Program, demonstrating strong public speaking skills to communicate personal growth she has achieved in the program as well as recent accomplishments and activities by herself and fellow 4-H’ers.

“On behalf of Ms. (Katie) Hayes and the Union County 4-H Program, I would like to thank you for your continued support for our program,” Elliott told the board. “Like I said before, 4-H has helped make me who I am today, and I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had with 4-H.”

Highlighting even more student success, the board approved an overnight fieldtrip to Nashville, Tennessee, this summer for members of the Technology Student Association to compete at the national level after stellar results at state.

After an executive session, the board voted to create a daycare at the Primary School for use by school staff. The daycare will benefit employees in need of childcare while helping the system with recruitment and retention of people with children too young to enter the classroom.

It was a long meeting, but two community members stuck around to deliver public comments to the School Board around 9 p.m., starting with expressions of deep gratitude for Union County Schools by New Union Baptist Church Pastor Justin Jarrett.

Jarrett comes from a long line of Union County residents. He graduated UCHS, where he met his wife, and he now has children and family members in the schools. He praised the longstanding culture of excellence at the school system, which he said has only improved over time.

Another parent, Cassie Channell, also praised the schools, which embraced her entire family when they moved here from Montana. She stated her support for the School Board and Hill, thanking them for going out of their way to provide her children with excellent opportunities.

The next School Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, to begin with a work session at 6 p.m. followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m. inside the Central Office Board Room located at 124 Hughes Street in Blairsville. The public is encouraged to attend.