CCSD Board of Education approves new chief of police at monthly meeting

The Clarke County Board of Education approved the sale of $75 million in general obligation bonds, a new chief of police and more at their monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12. Meeting Action The Board of Education approved the sale of $75 million in general obligation bonds to “jumpstart” projects that will be funded by the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST). Earlier this month, Athens-Clarke County voters approved a five-year renewal of the one-cent sales tax, allowing the district to collect up to $215 million for capital improvements. Issuing these bonds provides immediate funding to begin construction, and debt will be paid back using future E-SPLOST revenue. The board also approved the appointment of Jeffery Johnson as the new chief of police for the Clarke County School District (CCSD). He  has been with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department since 2003, leading its Criminal Investigations Division within its Operational Support Bureau as Captain since 2021. Johnson will begin Dec. 7, replacing Chief Terry Reid, who is retiring at the end of this calendar year. Board and public comment Lemuel LaRoche, the executive director and founder of Chess & Community , introduced the nonprofit organization’s student president, Tristan Rucker, and vice president, Samuel Howard. Chess & Community represents critical thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution and civic leadership. Rucker spoke on the importance of local youth literacy. He proposed having teachers compile a selection of student-chosen books for peers to vote on, read over the course of a month and discuss. Howard noted reading builds focus and critical thinking. He suggested launching a reading challenge where students share what they learn and earn small rewards as they complete various goals. “We understand how important youth literacy is, and how it can truly change someone’s life, so let’s make it happen with Clarke County students,” Howard said. “Let’s make a change, one book at a time.” Presentations Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dan Swartz gave the board a presentation on human resource updates in the district. CCSD currently serves 2,987 full-time, part-time and temporary employees across 20 different job classifications. The district is 99.8% staffed, a figure Swartz hopes to push to 100%. “Once you get to 99, it’s really hard to grow that, but I see a future where we can get to 100,” Swartz said. According to Swartz, the district is making "incremental strides with diversity.” Black and African American employees make up the majority of the current workforce, closely followed by white employees and growing Hispanic representation. To support staff, HR has rolled out long-term disability coverage, extended salary tables to be more competitive and implemented salary supplements for high-need special education roles. Sustainability Coordinator Randy Priest presented findings from an energy audit, which evaluated things such as lighting, utilities and HVAC efficiency. The audit examined three schools with different HVAC setups: Hilsman Middle (variable refrigerant flow), Gaines Elementary (roof top units) and Oglethorpe Elementary (water-source heat pumps). For future upgrades, Priest advised prioritizing either variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or water-source heat pump (WSHP) systems. While VRF cuts electricity use by 20% and natural gas by 83%,  they can be unreliable and hard to centrally control. WSHP systems are easier to centrally manage, though they yield a 12% electricity reduction and no natural gas savings. John Gilbreath presented the E-SPLOST update, highlighting that construction has begun at Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary. The project includes traffic rerouting, a new gymnasium and standard 20-year updates. Awards and Recognitions Tracey Whitlock, a warehouse clerk at CCSD Plant Services, was named November Employee of the Month. Whitlock has been with CCSD for 14 years, and was nominated by colleagues in the operations division for the award. Ryan Johnson, the head coach of CCSD’s Classic City Dawgs adapted sports team, was recognized for being named the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs Junior Varsity Coach of the Year. The board also recognized two Cedar Shoals seniors, Savannah Rawls and Angel Jones, who finished in fifth place in their Animal Systems competition division at the National FFA Agriscience Fair Competition. Finally, Matthew Rubenstein, CCSD’s Teacher of the Year, and Kathryn Brown, CCSD’s Support Professional of the Year, were honored for their achievements. What’s next? The board will meet Thursday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m.