The week of March 15-19 is School Board Appreciation Week as recognized by the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) and Henry County Schools, and this year’s week of honor holds a special meaning as the Henry County Board of Education was recently designated as an Exemplary Board by GSBA.

“Our board of education is a passionate and unified governance team that works tirelessly on behalf of all students, staff, families, and community members,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “They are most deserving of the exemplary status granted to them by the Georgia School Boards Association.”
Henry County Schools’ five members of the Board of Education include:

Mrs. Holly Cobb, Chair (District 3) – 5th year of service
Mrs. Annette Edwards, Vice-Chair (District 5) – 7th year of service
Dr. Pam Nutt (District 1) – 25th year of service
Mr. Makenzie McDaniel (District 2) – 1st year of service
Mrs. Sophe Pope (District 4) – 3rd year of service

This latest recognition from the state association dedicated to school governing bodies comes on the heels of the local board also being recognized by GSBA as a finalist for Large System Governance Team of the Year.

The multiple recognitions are further validation that the board is succeeding in its role to provide students, staff, and families with opportunities and access to a high-quality education which will result in exceptional outcomes.

“It has been a challenging, yet incredibly productive year for our board and we are humbled to receive the recent designations and recognitions,” said Board Chair Holly Cobb. “The most important thing to our board is that we provide a great teaching environment for our educators to thrive, and a great learning environment for our students to achieve at the highest levels while preparing them for life beyond grade school.”

As a part of School Board Appreciation Week, school systems all across Georgia are celebrating their boards of education throughout the week for their dedication and service to the communities in which they serve.

The local board of education continually strives to work together to serve the community by providing resources and support for the 6,000+ employees and 43,000+ students across 50 schools.

While the past year has provided a variety of challenges for school districts and their governing bodies, Henry County Schools has met each challenge with the unwavering support and commitment from each board member. From approving supplements to support teachers during the pandemic to working with community partners to ensure the safest of learning environments with appropriate mitigation efforts to supporting the development of a Closed Point of Distribution vaccination site for all employees wanting one, the board of education has risen to meet all challenges. This work continues in the robust preparations for the coming school year as well as unveiling the next five-year strategic plan.

In addition to student achievement, board members are focused on ensuring that Henry County Schools continues to be a safe place to learn and grow, and that every classroom has a highly-skilled and motivated staff member ready to make our district the highest-achieving district in the state and beyond.

Davis continued, “Our board continues to be a positive example of unified governance and dedication to supporting all of our students and their individualized needs. Whether a student learns best in a classroom or remotely, the board of education has committed to ensuring every student’s experience in Henry County Schools is an exceptional one.”

For more information on GSBA, visit www.gsba.com. For more information on Henry County Schools, visit www. henry.k12.ga.us.