The Long County Board of Education met Monday for its December meeting, and started the meeting with an update of the high school being on the national stage.
Two Long County High School students went before the group to talk about the band’s recent trip to march in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 27 in Chicago. Maggie Alexander expressed gratitude to the board members for allowing the band to take part in the parade and also said that the trip was something that she would never forget.
“It was an awesome, a great trip,” she said.
Christian Dasher, who recently became the first student in LCHS history to be recognized as an All-State jazz player, said, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime event … some students aren’t jocks or smart. In the band, that stuff doesn’t matter — everyone can still be a part of it.”
Band director Terry Kenny said the band was recognized during the parade.
“The band got 45 seconds of television time, and they did say Ludowici and not Ludowiki,” Kenny said. “The announcers also mentioned our Sugar Bowl trip and that we had won the competition in New Orleans.”
Kenny also thanked the board members, administrators and the community for its support in the planning of the trip. Alexander and Dasher then presented each board member with a patch from the parade.
Also Monday, LCHS Principal Scotty Hattaway gave the board members a report on a recent intruder drill Nov. 20 at the school. He said the drill was conducted by the Long County Sheriff’s Office and lasted 33 minutes. Hattaway said that the students and staff did a good job during the drill, and that there were only a few suggestions made by the sheriff’s office on how they could do a better job.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters said that the drill was taken seriously by all and that it was productive.
In other business, the BoE:
• approved the election results for the recent referendum to raise the millage rate to secure funding for a new school.
• Waters reported that a letter from the state had been received in regards to information provided by the school system from its special-education department for complying with disability requirements.
• Waters announced that a retired educators’ luncheon will be Dec. 10 at the board’s annex building. He said board members are invited to attend.
• Waters reported that the Ludowici/Long County Christmas Parade would be taking place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Board members Florence Baggs, Julie Dawson and Chairwoman Janet Watford said that they will take part in the parade.