STATE BOARD RETURNS GILMER SCHOOLS BACK TO LOCAL CONTROL

(12/16/2016)

Full control will be given back to Gilmer County Schools after six years of state intervention and improvements. The state Board of Education voted Wednesday to return control to the local school system. "The issues that were there when we took over the county, we feel, have been resolved," said Mike Green, president of the state school board. "It is always the board's policy to return control to local school board when we feel that they've met the obligations and they're capable of running their own county," he said. The state take-over has been a contentious situation in Gilmer County, particularly since county students had been faring well academically. Most residents believe the take-over was to consolidate the community schools. Now, that has happened. The board also voted to return local control to Gilmer County with the caveat that the county board sign agreement to keep the local superintendent through June 30, 2017. "When we return the county to Gilmer County, they will then be in a position to move forward and select their next superintendent," Green explained, and noted, the local superintendent is allowed to apply for the position if so d esired and should be given the same consideration as all applicants. Gilmer County Schools were declared in a state of emergency in June 2011. Since then, the state school board has been working directly with the schools to make improvements regarding curriculum, policy, finance, facilities, personnel, transportation and creating a school calendar. Share this:

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001