The Henry County Board of Education is closing out 2020 on a high note after being named a finalist for the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Large System Governance Team of the Year. 

After a year that has been challenging for schools all across the state and nation due to the Coronavirus pandemic, being recognized with such an honor makes the accomplishment that much more meaningful.

“We work hard to make this the best school district for students, staff, and the community,” said Board Chair Josh Hinton.  “To be named a finalist with some of the best school districts in the state, it is a reflection of the great partnership this board has with the community.  Because of this strong partnership, we have been able to accomplish so much together to support teaching and learning at the highest levels.”

Henry County Schools was a part of a group of five finalists for the large system recognition.  A large system is defined by GSBA as having more than 10,000 students.  Other large system finalists were (enrollment number): Columbia County (27,740), Effingham County (12,197), Fayette County (20,351), and Houston County (29,036).

To be eligible for the award, school district governance teams had to first have a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score of 75.9 or better.  Henry County Schools had the largest improvement of any of the 10 largest districts in the state with the most recent CCRPI score improving by a double-digit increase of 11 points.

Governance teams also had to submit an application for the award which was rated by a national review panel of public education leaders on rubrics developed that are aligned with the seven components of the Georgia Vision Project plus an additional component on communications and messaging.