White County schools closed Tuesday

Press Release

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — All White C0unty Schools will be closed on Tuesday (Jan. 18).

Dahlonega lawyer threatens “to bury” anti-CRT activist in legal fees

Business, News

James King

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — A White County anti-critical race theory (CRT) activist who was verbally attacked by a White County Board of Education member in September is now being threatened by a Lumpkin County lawyer.

Former substitute teacher James King believes the White County School System is teaching CRT to students. He and the organization Citizens for Transparent Education have filed several open records requests with the School Board to support his claim. In September, School Board member John Solomon screamed at King and shook his finger in his face during a September meeting. Several bystanders said they were afraid Solomon was going to punch him.

On Tuesday, Dahlonega lawyer Matthew Hoyle took to Facebook to demand King halt his “harassment” of educators.

“I’m here to let you know that you have stepped over the line, and should you continue to attack and harass the educators that taught me to be the man I am today, I will be forced to fight you with the full force of not only my law firm but every law firm I can pull into this situation, which I assume will be plenty,” he wrote. “Again, I do not wish to bury you in legal fees but I will.” He also warned of “dire consequences” if King failed to comply.

Hoyle also accused King of “downloading and disseminating government-owned material and intellectual property.”

During a phone interview with Fetch Your News on Wednesday, Hoyle said, “I actually did not intend to send that to James on Facebook. I hit send and didn’t mean to then I unsent it but I guess he read it. I usually sit on letters for 24 hours.

“My concern was in protecting educators from potential hate crimes. They had expressed concerns about their personal safety. I respect teachers’ requests not to have people call and make personal threats.”

King said, “Honestly, Mr. Hoyle’s message scared me- which is what I believe he intended to do. After speaking with a friend who is a practicing attorney, he advised me that Mr. Hoyle was most likely only seeking to intimidate me and the members of Citizens for Transparent Education into stopping our fight against Critical Race Theory in White County.”

King rejected the claim that he downloaded government-owned material and intellectual property.

He said the information he collected came from taxpayer-owned school email and Google Classroom accounts that are subject to Georgia’s Open Records Act enacted to promote transparency in government.

King said his investigation of CRT in White County Schools will continue.

 

 

 

White County School System has served 103,302 meals during COVID-19 shutdown

News

Dr. Laura Burkett

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. – School Superintendent Dr. Laura Burkett announced during today’s (May 19) Board of Education meeting the White County Schools System has served 103,302 meals since schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In a really small school district, that just blows me away,” Burkett said. “That couldn’t happen without our transportation department and nutrition department teaming up.”

Friday will be the last day meals will be served until June 1. “Usually the summer feeding is a condensed version,” Burkett said. “But (Nutrition Director Abby Rowland) worked it out with a very limited staff that we will serve every single place we normally serve.”

Burkett also noted that Rowland had applied for an innovation grant through the Georgia Foundation for Public Education and, as a result, White County is one of only four school systems that will receive the $10,000 grant.

Assistant Superintendent Scott Justus led a discussion of potential special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) expenditures, that included retrofitting school busses with air conditioning and cameras, copiers for each school, cleaning products and Georgia Department of Education assistance with new facilities’ planning.

He estimated the cost to air condition the buses and outfit with cameras at approximately $28,400. The cost to purchase copiers would be between $134,000 and $150,000 depending on how many color copiers were purchased. There was a discussion about whether it would be best to lease the copiers or purchase them. Justus said, “There is no price difference lease vs. purchase.” But if the Board decides to  purchase, the amount could be funded by SPLOST proceeds over a five-year period rather than come out of the General Fund budget.

Adam Wiley told Board members that plans for White County High School’s drive-in graduation ceremony has attracted national attention. The event scheduled for Friday will be streamed on live video via a fouAdar-story projector with U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter hovering overhead as the National Anthem is played.

“A reporter from Time Magazine found the video advertising our graduation and sent us an email,” Wiley said. “I  — in all my infinite wisdom – accidentally deleted it,” he said. “Fortunately, she emailed me again and let me know it is on their website. She said they don’t plan to put it in the magazine, but she said that could change very quickly.”

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

White County Schools meal plan for week of March 23-27

News

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — The following is the meal plan for the week of March 23-27. Lunch and breakfast sacks will be provided for any White County School System student at any of the following locations and times:

Bryant Street Community Center 11:00AM
Kinsey Town Bus Route 11:00AM-11:45AM
Whitehall Commons Apartments 11:15AM
Oak Springs Community Center 11:15AM
Cleveland City Park 11:30AM
Shoal Creek Baptist Church 11:30AM
Lanier Ridge Apartments 11:35AM
Brookwood Village 11:45AM
Unicoi Hill Park 12:00PM
Sunny Ridge Apartments 12:00PM
White Street 12:00PM
Mossy Acres Mobile Home Park 12:15PM
*NEW* Linda’s Convenience Store 12:15PM-12:30PM *NEW* Located on Hwy. 129 North

White County Middle School will be operating a drive-thru at the front of the building where meals will be brought out to the cars from 11:30AM-12:30PM.

School system issues COVID-19 press release

News

PRESS RELEASE

Dr. Laurie Burkett

Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett

WHITE COUNTY, Ga. –White County School System is aware of the potential threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States. As we are updated by the Georgia Department of Public Health, (GDPH), we will continue to follow the lead of local, state and federal agencies. The White County School System is taking all of the necessary precautions coming from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as the GDPH. Georgia Emergency Management (GEMA), along with the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force is coordinating and disseminating all up-to-date information with state health leaders, federal and local partners at this time.

Please be aware that the CDC is asking school officials, as well as childcare centers and workplaces to prepare for a possible outbreak. At this time, there are no confirmed cases in White County. At a March 2, 2020 meeting with the White County Pandemic Task Force the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of School Safety reviewed the Government and Education model of the Pandemic Plan to make sure that the White County School System is fulfilling all responsibilities.

White County School System is currently reinforcing the importance of healthy hygiene with our students and employees. Our school nursing staff provides detailed information to principals and district staff as they track, monitor, and report illnesses.

We share the public’s concern regarding the possible spread of COVID-19 and we will remain focused on taking a calm, deliberate and proactive approach to protecting the health of the students, staff and the White County community.

For more information on COVID-19 please visit GA DPH Site or
CDC Site.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

White County Schools set to approve FY 2020 budget

News

 

CLEVELAND, Ga. –The White County School Board members have a full slate of agenda items on tap when they meet Thursday (June 27) at 6 p.m., including the adoption of the fiscal year 2020 budget.

The tentative general fund budget is $41,118,427. Expenditures will exceed revenue by about $988179. The tentative overall budget of $58,095,086. Expenditures will exceed revenue by about $748,861.

Action items on the agenda include approval of:

Time and date changes of Board of Education July meetings:

Family Connections Contract for FY 20;

CTAE Grant Applications for FY 20;

FY 20 BOE Training Plan;

May Financial & Budget Report;

FY 20 Salary Schedule & Supplements;

Field Trips for WCHS;

Declare equipment from JPN as used/worn out in service and authorize disposition;

Remove from table and rescind BOE Policies DCCB and DJD;

Remove from table and approve BOE Policies DCK and DFC;

First reading and table to approve in July;

DJE – Purchasing;

EEE – Wellness Program;

IFCB – Field Trips and Excursions;

Approve first reading and table to rescind in July;

EBD – Heating & Lighting;

IED – Scheduling of Instruction;

IEDA – Unstructured Break Time.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ransom worm virus hits White County school system

News

School Supt. Dr. Jeff Wilson

CLEVELAND, Ga. – White County School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson said the system’s computer program was attacked by the ransom worm virus Monday.

The school system’s IT staff believes the attack could have originated somewhere in eastern Europe.

“Our tech guys reported something strange was going on Monday morning,” Wilson said. “Their quick work avoided what could have been a major crisis. Only two or three of our software programs were affected. The good news is that no student or staff data was compromised. They did not go after financial data or social security numbers.”

Wilson said the system has a very good firewall but added that this is the same virus that got into the NASA and CIA systems: “So, they are very good at this.”

Wilson added, “Typically, you would have to be in our system to break into our system.”  The attack, he speculated, could have been facilitated by a student or teacher who needed to access information from home, allowing the hackers to open up an outside window into the system.

As of Wednesday, the system’s IT Department was working to correct the problem.

“We’re still investigating ways to prevent this kind of attack. We’re working with Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s (GEMA) forensic people. They are extremely interested in this kind of attack,” Wilson said. “They told us there were several other systems in Georgia that have been hit.”

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

‘Active shooter’ training exercise at White County Middle School April 4

News

CLEVELAND, Ga . — White County Public Safety Director David Murphy wants the public to be aware that an “active shooter training” exercise will take place at White County Middle School on Wednesday, April 4, from 7 a.m. until noon.

This is a joint exercise by the school system, Cleveland Police Department, White County Sheriff’s Office, White County Public Safety, Cleveland Fire Department and the Georgia Emergency Management-Homeland Security Agency.

Murphy said the exercise will evaluate the plans for both the system and first responders in the event an actual situation should occur. This exercise will include volunteer students and faculty from White County Schools and Truett – McConnell University.

The public should be aware of the increased presence of personnel on this date and not be alarmed as this is only an exercise of emergency response plans.

School systems and public safety personnel all across Georgia have conducted these exercises for some time, but the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 students and faculty Feb. 14, has led to a heightened awareness of the importance of such exercises.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

BOC holds second public hearing millage increase

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – After holding the line on the county’s portion of the millage rate for seven of the last eight years, the White County Board of Commissioners has announced and advertised a second consecutive increase. Commissioners held the second public hearing during a called meeting Thursday afternoon.

The third and final public hearing is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. July 30.

The county’s announced millage rate for fiscal year 2019 is 11.25, an increase of about 1.26 mils from 2018. From 2010 through 2013, the rate remained steady at 9.19 mills despite the economic downturn. From 2014-2016, commissioners reduced the rate to 9.168.

But the operation of county schools makes up the larger portion of a citizen’s tax bills. The White County School System has announced a millage rate of 17.481, bringing the overall rate that homeowners must pay to 28.731 mills.

One mill equals one dollar for ever thousand dollars of taxable value. The Tax Assessor’s Office determines the fair market value of property, which is then taxed at 40 percent. Thus the owner of a $300,000 home taxed at 40 percent of its value ($120,000) multiplied by the overall millage rate of 28.731 would pay $3,447.72 ($1,350 in county taxes and $2,097.72 in school taxes).

The 2019 approved county budget totals $18,925.734, an increase of about $1.5 million. Approximately $1 million will pay for a long overdue salary increase for law enforcement and other county employees as well as the addition of two new positions.

Counties that plan to increase the millage rate are required to advertise the increase in the local newspaper and hold three public meetings. White County will hold its third public hearing on July 30 at 4:30 p.m. Citizens wishing to speak in favor of or in opposition to the increase are invited to attend.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Board Works on Balancing Budget

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County School System is about one month and $11 million away from a balanced Fiscal Year ’18 budget.

School Board members held a preliminary budget hearing Thursday which revealed schools have estimated expenditures of $65,411,417 in FY ’18 and estimated revenue of only $54,239,323. A second budget hearing is set for May 25 at 6 p.m.

In the meantime, Board members will work on ways to balance their spending plan.

The good news is the School System has a healthy fund balance, expected to grow to $17,370,434, by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Board members can make up the shortfall from the fund balance. A second, less desirable solution, would be to ask taxpayers to make up the entire difference in the form of a millage increase. A more likely scenario would be to remove some money from the fund balance and ask for a millage increase to make up the rest.

The Board will approve the final budget, review the millage rate, schedule and advertise the budget and millage rate public hearings if necessary on June 29.

During Thursday’s meeting, the Board approved:

  • An agreement to pay North Georgia Physicians Group to provide an athletic trainer on a three-year scale of $8,000 during the next school year, $10,000 (2018-‘19) and $12,000 (2019-’20);
  • The formation of a wellness committee, consisting of the superintendent or his designee, school system and community representatives from areas designated in federal law to participate in the development, implementation and periodic review of school wellness policies;
  • A White County High School Senior Night field trip to Six Flags on May 5, and an away match in July for the White County High School volleyball team to Panama City Beach, Florida, to compete against two local schools;
  • An amendment to the employee and student smoking policy;
  • Construction of cases and an area to honor White County Veterans at a cost of approximately $ 20,000;
  • Formation of a Spanish National Honor Society at White County High School.

 

 

 

 

Talton, Sartain, Garrett Honored by School District

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. –Heather Talton was recently named Teacher of the Year in the White County School District and will now compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson said, “She is just an unbelievable teacher for our special needs students. She has an incredible amount of patience in working with both students and parents to ensure they get what they need and develop the life skills. It is a difficult population to work with and she has been super.”

The process for naming the teacher of the year begins with each district school making nominations. A committee made up of personnel directors from other school districts then interviews the finalists to avoid any chance of favoritism.

After the interview, the Teacher of the Year is chosen and is then eligible to compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year. The winner will then be announced in January.

Talton is married to Pete Talton, a drama teacher at White County High School. They have two children, Silas and Wesleigh.

Kim Sartain was chosen as White County Employee of the Year and Donna Garrett was selected as the system’s Bus Driver of the Year,

Sartain is the nurse at JP Nix Elementary. “Kim does a wonderful job taking care of our sick and injured students and helps promote a healthy life style for our students and staff,” Wilson said. “We are blessed to have a wonderful nurse like Kim serving our kids.”

Donna Garrett has been a bus driver for 26 years for the White County School System. She drives for JP Nix.

“Donna has safely transported our kids in White County for more than 26 years. Donna is the first school person a child sees in the morning and the last school person a child sees in the afternoon. Donna is loved and respected by all her children and often goes beyond the call of duty to make sure that her kids have everything they need. Donna is well deserving of this honor.”

 

White County Educators Oppose Amendment 1

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. –- Educators in county after county are working hard to educate Georgia voters about an issue they will be asked to decide in the November election. Amendment 1 asks voters: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance.”

“Who in their right mind would oppose that,” White County School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson asked Tuesday.

But critics warn that when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If passed, Amendment 1 would allow the state government to take control of any school that fails to score at least 60 on the College and Career Readiness Performance Index for three consecutive years and puts them in an Opportunity School District (OSD).

Wilson and others say that effectively muzzles parents and teachers and subjects schools to the control of a politically-appointed state school board and superintendent.

While no White County schools are in danger of being placed into the OSD, Wilson and White County School Board members have unanimously condemn Amendment 1.

“When has the state government ever taken over anything and made it better,” Wilson asked. “This goes completely against local control of our schools.”

Dawson and Lumpkin County School Boards have passed resolutions expressing their opposition to Amendment 1.

Wilson said the state of South Carolina experimented with something similar recently.

“A few years ago a private for-profit company came in and ran failing schools and after a couple of years they gave up,” he said.

“It seems like every day more and more power is going to the state government. We have a state board of education that is appointed and not elected. For me, not being able to elect anybody at the state level is a big concern.”

Another concern is the cost to taxpayers.

Wilson said if the state takes over a school it will have to hire teachers and provide a building. The state will provide some of the funding but not all. Local taxpayers will have to provide the rest.

Wilson said he is afraid the bill will pass overwhelmingly unless voters educate themselves on the issue.

“My fear is there isn’t anything we can do to stop it,” he said. “I believe it will pass overwhelmingly because of the innocent-sounding wording. Who in their right mind would oppose that?

He said he has tried to get the word out in White County by speaking to many community groups.

 

Dawson County: No Decision Yet on Transgender Students

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County schools officials have not made a decision yet on how to respond to the federal guideline handed down last week by President Obama’s Justice and Education departments regarding the use of school bathrooms by transgender students.

School Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Wilson said he just received the guideline on Monday.

“We’re looking at all our options, but no decisions have been made,” he said. “Right now, we’re working on next year’s budget and haven’t had time to discuss it.” The school year ends in two weeks and it’s unlikely a decision will be made before then.

The guideline states that transgender students must be allowed to use the restroom and dressing room that matches their gender identity. While the directive does not have the force of law, systems that do not comply could face lawsuits or the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding.

Wilson said White County receives about $4.5 million a year in federal money. “That’s a lot of money and I’m not sure how much of that the taxpayers are willing to pick up.”

Wilson added: “I wonder if there is a way to do this so that nobody loses their dignity. I do care about all kids and I think if one is struggling with their identity I’d like to help them. I don’t want to see them get beat up over it.”

Wilson said he visited schools in Europe and saw how they handled the problem.

“What they have done is to construct individual stalls inside every bathroom completely surrounded by walls so that people can go into the stalls and still maintain their own individual privacy,” he said. “The sinks are outside the stalls. I’m the father of girls and I don’t care if they wash their hands alongside the boys.”

Wilson said the issue could be discussed at the next Board of Education meeting, but more likely will wait until the budgeting process has concluded.

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