The Long County Board of Education recently received the Quality School Board Badge from the Georgia School Board Association.

Long County School System Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters made the announcement during the Board of Education’s Jan. 11 meeting.
Waters said the board earned the award by demonstrating quality leadership and best practices in governing the school system.

Receiving the award takes three years of work and evaluations, he said, adding that the community should be proud of the efforts from its members.  

“We ask our students and teachers to do better, and we as a board wanted to do better,” he said.

Waters said that although the board earned this award, it wants to continue to excel.

The next step of distinction that the school board hopes to achieve is to be designated as a Distinguished Board and, after that, an Exemplary Board.  

Board Chairwoman Janet Watford said she was proud of the work the school board completed in earning the award, but that it was only able to accomplish it because of the support from Waters, other school employees, students and the community.  

Other members of the board are Florence Baggs, Dr. Carolyn Williamson, Dennis DeLoach and Julie Dawson.

The school board also took the time during the meeting to recognize three employees who were retiring.

The retirees were teacher Marc Roe, cook Claudette Walker and bus driver Debbie Long.

“I want to congratulate Mr. Roe on his retirement,” Long County High School Principal David Edwards said. “He has been very loyal to Long County, having spent his entire time as a teacher here, and I can say that he is all about the kids.”  

Roe said, “I’ve only been out a week, but I already miss the kids.”

Long County Middle School Principal Heath Crane said, “Ms. Claudette is one of those people who is always so friendly and so nice, she always has a smile on her face when working with the kids.”  

Walker said, “I’ve enjoyed cooking for the kids.”

Waters said, “Ms. Debbie was one of the first people to welcome me when I first arrived here at Long County, and I’ve always appreciated that.”  

Long said, “I’ll miss the kids, they were a bad bunch, but a good bunch.”

The board also re-elected Watford as its chairwoman, reappointed Jeffery Arnold as its attorney, and approved its meetings to remain at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month.

In other business:

• Waters announced that LCHS would host the Region 2-AA basketball tournament from Feb. 9-13.

• Waters said bids would begin being accepted on the new third- through eighth-grade combination school on Feb. 4.

• Waters said the LCHS jazz band would have a concert on Friday at the school.