Development News for Griffin, Georgia

Dr. Stephanie Nash Appointed Principal of Jordan Hill Elementary School

Dr. Stephanie Nash was recommended and appointed as the new principal of Jordan Hill Elementary School. She currently serves as an assistant principal in the Lamar County School District and has approximately 17-18 years of experience as an assistant principal, with strengths in instructional leadership, literacy, MTSS, and early intervention programs. She is familiar with elementary school operations and has experience as a testing coordinator for multiple counties and as a Upsilon School Enrichment Program site coordinator. The board motioned and seconded the appointment, approving it with a 5-0 vote.

Griffin Spalding Board of Education Approves FY27 Budget

The Griffin Spalding Board of Education approved the FY27 budget. The budget includes appropriations for the general fund, special revenue fund, school nutrition fund, debt services fund, and capital projects fund. Key highlights of the budget include a 3.2% inflationary increase in property assessments, a projected reduction of $4 million in tax revenues, step increases for eligible employees, an increase in employer state health insurance rates and teachers retirement system employer rates, and continuation of retention supplements. Reductions of approximately $3.5 million were made through attrition-based position reductions, central office consolidations, and elimination of duplicated software platforms. The budget utilizes $11.4 million of the fund balance. Board members had the opportunity to discuss the budget individually with staff prior to the vote.

Verata Camera and Access Control System Approved for $2.3 Million

The Board of Education approved funding for the purchase of Verata camera and access control equipment for an amount not to exceed $2.3 million, to be paid for by SPLOST 7. This upgrade is a joint effort between the maintenance and safety departments to replace outdated Hikvision cameras (12-15 years old) which have been deemed non-compliant due to federal policy. The project also addresses the end-of-life status of door buzzer systems and phones, and the need for additional door readers at elementary schools. EdTech 12, the vendor for Verata, was selected after a competitive RFP process where they were the only vendor whose equipment successfully integrated all required components and worked with existing door badges. The equipment has a 10-year warranty and is expected to last 15 years. The final expenditure is projected to be around $2 million.

Bullying Policy Review Period Waived to Meet State Mandate

The Board of Education waved the standard 30-day stakeholder review for Policy JCDAG (Bullying) to comply with a state mandate to approve the policy by July 1st. The policy was updated by the Georgia School Boards Association to include new language defining bullying as any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that a reasonable person would perceive as intended to threaten, harass, or intimidate, and which substantially interferes with a student's education or infringes upon their rights. The board requested the policy remain in assembly for 21 days instead of 30. The request to waive the review period was approved with a 5-0 vote.