At the March 8 Liberty County Board of Education meeting, board Chair Lily Baker thanked her fellow board members as she reminded them that she is not seeking re-election this year. Board member Jim Johns also announced that he would not be seeking a second term, keeping his promise to the constituents of District 4.

Chief Operations Office Arnold Jackson recommended the board approve a bid from Waters Mechanical to replace the HVAC system at Liberty Elementary School, in the amount of $1,749,000, sourced by CARES funds. This project has been approved by the Georgia Department of Education and will upgrade all classroom-packaged air conditioning units, fresh air systems, exhaust fans and an energy management system. In addition, these units will have a 10-year warranty.

The board also approved Lavender & Associates Construction to renovate the interior of Waldo Pafford Elementary School at a cost of $3,172,000, funded by the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). Additionally, interior renovations were approved for Taylors Creek Elementary by Dabbs-Williams Construction at a cost of $3,160,000 from the ESPLOST.

LCSS Chief Academic Officer Susan Avant reported that Bradwell Institute was selected as one of 68 schools in the United States to pilot an Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies class next year. Students par t icipat ing in the pilot course will receive an elective credit in African American Studies, but the course will be listed as an AP course on their transcripts. The students will take an in-class exam at the end of the course to provide data to the College Board but will not receive college credit. The purpose of the pilot is to demonstrate the integrity of the course to colleges, so college credit may be earned in the future.