The Board Brief

Board members met for a Called Meeting / work session of the Board of Education's Ad Hoc School Consolidation Committee on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The meeting was led by James Freeman, Chair of the School Consolidation Committee, and no actions were taken during the meeting.

For more information about topics reviewed, click here for a link to the agenda and attachments on Simbli.

The purpose of the Board of Education’s Ad Hoc School Consolidation Committee is to ensure Board members are actively involved in defining and guiding the process for considering potential school consolidations and rezoning. The committee will provide input and oversight as options are reviewed and work toward making a recommendation by the end of the school year. The committee’s recommendation will be presented to the full Board of Education for consideration and action.

The committee is composed of a subset of Board members (James Freeman, Chair; Dr. Sundra Woodford; and Dr. Lisa Boyd) and does not constitute a quorum. However, because all Board members have expressed interest in participating in the process, future committee meetings will be open to the full Board. Because attendance by additional Board members could result in a quorum, public notice of these meetings will be provided to promote transparency and ensure compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

Additional members of the School Consolidation Committee include incoming Board member Amy Morton, At-Large, Post 7; Superintendent Dr. Dan A. Sims; and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Katika Lovett.

Several school consolidation and / or rezoning scenarios will be developed rather than a single answer. Each scenario will be communicated with a reasoning, including effects on students, programs, transportation, school capacity, and facility costs. An early review will use numbers instead of school names, and names will be introduced when scenarios are developed for public discussion.

Timeline

• August–September 2026: Culmination of the FY26 work.

• September–October 2026: Committee work and finalization of the evaluation matrix. (The matrix was developed by Board members during the Fall Board Retreat.)

• November–December 2026: Scenario development and community engagement.

• January–February 2027: Final recommendation, Board deliberation, and a potential vote.

Any consolidation or closure decision would generally take effect in a later school year, allowing time for planning, staffing, transportation, and family notification.

The School Consolidation Committee, chaired by Board member James Freeman, met with HPM, the District's facilities planning partner on October 29, 2026. Together, they reviewed the latest enrollment and building information and mapped out the steps ahead. No decisions about closing or consolidating any school were made.

The committee's goal was identified as an open, data-informed process that gives families and community members a chance to be heard before any recommendation is finalized.

Items Reviewed:

• Enrollment and building use: Early 2026 numbers show elementary enrollment is about level, high school enrollment is up, and middle school enrollment is down slightly. Elementary schools are using roughly 75% of their capacity. These figures are preliminary and will be updated when official reporting is complete.

• Facility conditions: Assessments of several school buildings are under way. Roofs, heating and cooling systems, and other major building components will be part of the review.

• How schools are evaluated: The committee reviewed the Board-informed evaluation matrix (developed through work at the Board Retreat on October 9, 2026), which scores each school on criteria weighted by importance. Enrollment, facilities, and financial impact carry the highest weight; receiving-school capacity, transportation, and community impact and property reuse carry moderate weight; and educational and program opportunities is a supporting consideration. The committee refined how indicators are treated so each criterion is based on objective, available data without duplicating other categories. Student privacy is protected, and very small counts will be shown as "under 5" rather than in a way that could identify individual students.

The School Consolidation Committee, chaired by Board member James Freeman, met with HPM, the District's facilities planning partner on November 12, 2026. No decisions about closing or consolidating any school were made.

Items Reviewed:

• Updated school enrollment and facility utilization: Together, the committee and HPM reviewed updated data, including enrollment and utilization by building, as well as tables of data for students living in zone or out of zone by school. During the meeting, the committee requested that HPM modify student enrollment data at the elementary level and separate enrollment for grades K-5 from enrollment for Pre-K. This request was made with the clarification that standard Georgia QBE funding formula for schools is calculated based on student enrollment for grades K-5 only and does not include Pre-K students. (What is Georgia QBE?)
• Preliminary findings and implications for consolidation exploration: Committee members identified a plan to focus on elementary schools with less than 450 students enrolled in grades K-5. Initial data presented during the meeting identified 10 elementary schools below the 450-enrollment mark, but HPM stated this number of schools could change once Pre-K enrollment data was separated out.
• A coordinated approach to community engagement: The committee established the importance of community engagement and highlighted opportunities to hear from stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and Onflo (formerly Let's Talk). Information about the committee's progress will be posted to the District's website at www.bcsdk12.net and shared in The Board Brief newsletter updates.

The District will continue to share updates as the committee's work moves forward. In the coming months, families and community members can expect surveys and small focus groups, along with opportunities to review and respond to the options.

Have questions or feedback? Submit them through Onflo (formerly named Let's Talk) at https://www.onflo.com/Lets-Talk/FormBuilder/#/Dialogue?k=PR1Z9DR3Y9ZLT@WR3Y9ZLT@DY2K2Z8LT.

Board Member Record of Attendance for November 12, 2026:

Mr. Daryl J. Morton, At-Large, Post 7 - President - Present virtually by Teams

Dr. Sundra M. Woodford, District 5 - Vice President - Present

Mrs. Kristin C. Hanlon, District 3 - Treasurer - Present

Ms. Myrtice C. Johnson, District 1 - Not Present

Dr. Henry C. Ficklin, District 2 - Not Present

Mr. Barney T. Hester, District 4 - Present

Mr. James M. Freeman, District 6 - Present

Dr. Lisa W. Boyd, At-Large, Post 8 - Present virtually by Teams

Amy Morton, Committee Member, Future At-Large, Post 7 - Present virtually by Teams

To learn more about Bibb County Board of Education members, click here.