NCS Board Notes - JUNE 2025

The Newton County Schools Board of Education conducted a combined Work Session/Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. All documents presented to the Board are available to the public and can be accessed on our website.

Please note that Newton County Schools Board Meetings may be viewed live on the district’s YouTube channel. Additionally, archived meetings are also available for public viewing.

Board Chair Abigail Coggin opened the meeting by acknowledging the school board meeting as the last one for the 2024-25 school year. On behalf of the school board, she thanked the entire Newton County Schools team. Mrs. Coggin also announced that the combined 2025 graduating classes from Alcovy, Eastside, and Newton High Schools earned almost $113 million in scholarship money.

To hear speakers’ highlights from the 2025 graduation ceremonies, watch video below.

Superintendent Duke Bradley began his remarks during the Work Session by reminding stakeholders that the work of the school district continues during the summer months. “Across the district, planning is already underway for the year ahead – the finalization of Operational Management Plans, crystallizing Organizational Priorities and goals, calendaring for the months ahead, and most importantly, preparing for a seamless start to the new year,” said Dr. Bradley.

Amid the ongoing work in the district, Dr. Bradley pointed out that there is always excellence to celebrate. He noted that Taylor Moody, Newton County Schools’ Teacher of the Year, was recognized by the Georgia State Board of Education and State Schools Superintendent Richard Woods as one of the ten finalists for Georgia’s 2025 Statewide Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Bradley also recognized Sherri Partee and Derrick Barnes from the district’s Communications Department, who won sixteen awards given by the National School Public Relations Association. The team won four Awards of Excellence, which is the highest award designation. They also won four Awards of Merit and four Honorable Mention Awards.

Finally, Dr. Bradley spoke about the district’s second annual Ignite Summer Leadership Conference. With Takeoff as its theme, the conference featured expert speakers and leaders from across the state and presented opportunities for school and district leaders to collaborate, plan, and have some fun

To see highlights from the 2025 Ignite Summer Leadership Conference, watch our video below.

Kennedy Carlock and Cooper Saturday, students from the Newton County STEAM Academy, were recognized for being winners in the Garden Club of Georgia Youth Poetry Contest. Open to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, the youth poetry contest is designed to excite and encourage youth to express and explore their creative thoughts through different types of poetry.

To view the presentation in its entirety, please click on this link.

Benjamin Roundtree, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, presented the Quarter Three Quarterly Report. Quarterly reports are designed to monitor and communicate our progress towards implementing the Board’s priorities for the year. The reports also are an expression of explicit transparency that give us an opportunity to provide broad clarity about the work currently underway in the district – in addition to our productivity, performance, and current organizational status. The report is organized into three priority categories - Academics, Operations, and Culture and Engagement.

During Quarter Three, the Teaching and Learning Team continued to make strides in improving the district’s response to literacy instruction, which includes a strict adherence to the mandates of House Bill 538. Universal screeners are currently in use; prescribed instructional minutes for literacy were determined and clarified in Quarter Three and will subsequently be incorporated into each school’s master schedule for the 2025-26 school year; and by the close of the quarter, a majority of K-3 teachers were reported to have completed their modules-based training in the Science of Reading. Also, the district’s core resource for reading instruction was updated during Quarter Three to support structured literacy as the district’s method of teaching reading. Additionally, early grades teachers at both South Salem and East Newton Elementary Schools completed their year-long professional development in reading as a part of the REAP early literacy pilot. The program will now expand to six schools for the 2025-26 school year.

During Quarter Three, the district’s Teaching and Learning Team continued developing the NCS Excellence in Teaching Framework. Also, the blueprints for the fall interim assessments were developed. Interim assessments will be administered so that student progress towards specific learning goals may be monitored, helping to inform instructional adjustments. The blueprints tell the standards to which the questions are aligned as well as the Depth of Knowledge level of each question.

In the category of Operations, work during Quarter Two reflected the continued prioritization of improving compensation, improving core business functions, and increasing community transparency.

In alignment with the district’s organizational priority of enhancing communication efforts to achieve organizational clarity and transparency, the Procurement Department hosted two “How To Do Business with Newton County Schools” seminars. The purpose of these seminars was to orient vendors to the processes and procedures for doing business with Newton County Schools. Guests were provided with an overview of Newton County Schools’ purchasing policy and the structure of its purchasing process. Procurement Department staff also discussed how to pursue business opportunities with the district.

Also in alignment with organizational transparency, the Newton County Schools eSplost Tracker was made active on the district’s website. Specific to ESPLOST VI, the tracker is designed to share real-time progress on each project with stakeholders.

During Quarter Three, there also was a culmination of the district's efforts to address barriers to student learning, particularly around student attendance and parent engagement. Several programs and initiatives were reinforced to encourage student attendance and bolster family engagement. These included the formation of school attendance committees; the utilization of improved and well-defined school-based communications systems to engage families; and continual enhancement of the Parent Connect initiative.

In the area of Culture and Engagement, the district continued elevating staff recognition during Quarter Three. The prioritization of recognition programming emerged from feedback received from the school board and the district’s staff members specific to the need to find ways to honor the hard work and contributions of our workforce. The first HERO Awards Program was held during a special evening event to recognize the district’s classified professionals. The larger Newton County community joined the school district to honor employee groups, from bus drivers and nutrition staff to clerks and paraprofessionals. The Media Specialist of the Year Recognition Reception honored the exceptional contributions of library media professionals across the district. The event celebrated the dedication and innovation of media specialists who foster literacy, support instructional technology, and create welcoming, engaging spaces for student learning.

Newton County Schools continues to recognize the importance of ongoing professional development and support as well. During Quarter Three, the first of its kind, THRIVE Assistant Principals’ Academy was launched. With an inaugural cohort of twenty participants, the THRIVE Assistant Principals’ Academy is a professional learning opportunity for educators in Newton County Schools who aspire to become assistant principals. The Academy will develop a pipeline of future assistant principals who are equipped to support teachers, build meaningful school relationships, and drive student success.

During Quarter Three, work continued to address the district’s aspirational goals in preparation for the 2025-26 school year. Not only are there efforts to increase Advanced Placement course offerings and students’ access to dual enrollment courses, but a special emphasis has been placed on enrolling students from underrepresented populations in these courses. To support this work, recruitment efforts for Advanced Placement course participation have been strengthened through strategic counseling initiatives and recruitment fairs. As a result, beginning in the 2025-26 school year, a core set of Advanced Placement courses will be offered at all base high schools to ensure equitable access to advanced coursework across the district.

Each base high school will offer two in-house Dual Enrollment English courses next school year - English 1101 and English 1102. Additionally, each base high school also will offer Dual Enrollment coursework in Engineering. Students completing this track will not only earn Dual Enrollment credits but will receive a Technical College Certificate. Course completion will include credit for the End of Pathway Assessment, which designates students as Pathway Completers and aligns directly with our goal to increase the number of pathway completers throughout the district. The fulfillment of these aspirational goals will result in a significantly higher number of students participating in Advanced Placement and Dual enrollment courses and broader diversity among the student pool.

Quarter Three also saw continued work in developing Newton County Schools’ Workforce Development Framework, which will guide our work to ensure that Newton County Schools’ students are well prepared to be the workforce of the future.

Newton County Schools continues to focus on building a strong foundation for future success, training staff, developing infrastructure, and aligning efforts from the Board room to the classroom to become the fastest-improving school district in Georgia. All items highlighted in the Quarter Three Quarterly Report align with the board’s priorities. As he concluded, Mr. Roundtree reminded the Board of Education that this year represented a period of foundation building – not implementation.

Mrs. Henderson-Baker referenced the “Milestones Performance - Bright Spots and Opportunities for Improvement” presentation that was given by Lauren LaMont, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, during the August 2024 school board meeting. When the report is presented for the 2024-25 school year, Mrs. Henderson-Baker requests that it includes a three-year time span up to 2024-25 and that the report is laid out the same way as the previous one. She also requested that it not include comparisons to other school districts in the RESA.

Mrs. Henderson-Baker said she is happy to see that dual enrollment will be offered at each high school, especially since college credit for Advanced Placement courses is not guaranteed based on a student’s exam score. She raised a concern, however, that students who are a part of the ALANHS Program at Newton High School are not allowed to enroll in a dual enrollment course until their senior year.

Mr. Bailey expressed his happiness about in-house dual enrollment courses. He mentioned previous barriers students had to overcome to take a course that was not offered at their high school. He said he is excited about the Newton County Schools’ Workforce Development Framework. He said he believes the framework will be a gold standard exemplar for the state of Georgia.

To view the presentation, please click on this link.

Gail Rothman, Executive Director of the Newton Education Foundation, was a guest presenter at the school board meeting.

Mr. Johnson extended his gratitude to the Newton Education Foundation.

Mr. Bailey said he is grateful for the work of the Newton Education Foundation. He pointed out that the financial donations the Foundation receives and distributes to support the school district help to offset taxes. He expressed his gratitude for the support of the Hay family and Gail Rothman.

Chief Operations Officer Dr. Mike Barr presented the findings from the district’s weapons detection systems pilot. He began by recapping two incidents that heightened concerns about school safety. At the beginning of the school year, the district faced two significant safety challenges requiring prompt action. A firearm was recovered at Sharp Stadium in August, and there was an emergency incident at Apalachee High School in a neighboring county in September.

The district responded quickly and substantively to these challenges.

• A stadium-specific weapons detection system was approved by the Board of Education in September and implemented in November.
• In October, the district hosted a system-wide Safe Schools Forum to present safety protocols; highlight our multi-year investments to enhance security; and discuss the mental health support systems available to students. The forum also provided an opportunity for the community to ask questions about school safety practices and to share any concerns.
• In November, the district conducted a survey to gather input on potential safety enhancements. More than 90% of respondents favored the use of weapons detection systems in middle and high schools.

In December, after considering the information and input gathered from the Safe Schools Forum and the survey, the Board of Education approved the purchase of weapons detection systems for a pilot program in secondary schools. The goal of the pilot was to assess feasibility, operational logistics, and overall impact on school environments. To prepare for the pilot’s implementation, early site visits to schools were conducted; training sessions with personnel were held; communication plans for families were developed; and mechanisms to collect feedback were put in place.

As part of the pilot, nineteen screenings were randomly conducted at all middle and high schools and in grades 6-8 at the Newton County STEAM Academy. Weapons detection systems also were used at major events, including this year’s graduation ceremonies. Staff from the Departments of Risk Management, Safety and Security, Transportation, Facilities, and Procurement provided critical support.

Dr. Barr reported that several prohibited items were recovered from schools during the pilot, and he pointed out this illustrates the practical value of screening as a preventative measure. In middle schools, initial school staffing averaged sixteen people, who were supported by twenty-three additional staff from the Operations division. By the conclusion of the pilot, overall staffing stabilized to around sixteen people, and school staff could manage the process more independently.

In high schools, initial school staffing ranged from twenty-five to thirty people, who were supported by twenty-three additional staff from the Operations division. By the conclusion of the pilot, overall staffing still was between forty-eight and fifty-three people, with support from the Operations division remaining at twenty-three people. High schools still required significant support.

Feedback was collected from school leaders, and the following data were reported:

• 60% reported minimal disruption to the instructional day.
• 70% said staffing was sufficient.
• 90% supported continued use of the weapons detection systems (some of that support was conditional on additional staffing).
• The average confidence level in schools’ ability to operate the systems independently was 2.6 out of 5.

Common themes that emerged from the survey results were:

• Dedicated staffing was an important piece of the pilot.
• Teachers should not be responsible for screenings.
• District SROs and Operations staff were essential to the pilot’s success.
• Outdoor setups improved flow and reduced indoor congestion.

Dr. Barr emphasized that weapons detection systems alone will not eliminate the risk of weapons on campus. A layered approach is essential, and the district’s framework consists of four key pillars that form the foundation of a comprehensive school safety strategy - People, Plans, and Procedures; Investments and Infrastructure; the Student Code of Conduct; and Mental Health Supports.

Although there was no requested board action regarding the weapons detection systems as the pilot concludes, Dr. Barr presented three options the board could consider as the district prepares for the new school year.

1. Discontinue the use of weapons detection systems
2. Continue screenings on a random and rotating basis
3. Implement weapons detection systems fully across all secondary schools

Dr. Barr concluded his report by reminding stakeholders that school safety is a shared responsibility, and by working together, we can continue to protect the well-being of every student and staff member.

To view the presentation in its entirety, please click on this link.

To view the presentation in its entirety, please click on this link.

A. Requested Board Action Relative to Policy BCBI

Suggested revisions to Board Policy BCBI—Public Participation in Board Meetings were presented to the board for review and consideration. The proposed policy revisions will be posted on the school system’s website for public review and input, with the board scheduled to vote on the policy at its July meeting.

No vote taken.

B. Requested Board Action Relative to Policy DJE

Suggested revisions to Board Policy DJE—Purchasing were presented to the board for review and consideration. The proposed policy revisions will be posted on the school system’s website for public review and input, with the board scheduled to vote on the policy at its July meeting.

No vote taken.

C. Requested Board Action Relative to Contract for Membership in Griffin RESA

The Board approved a contract with Griffin Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) for supplementary services. All school systems are assigned to one of the sixteen Regional Educational Service Agencies. Services provided by Griffin RESA include repair services, audiology services, orientation and mobility specialist services, and TKES/LKES (Teacher Keys Effectiveness System/Leader Keys Effectiveness System) services. The total cost of the contract for fiscal year 2026 is $208,738.75 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds upon approval.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

D. Requested Board Action Relative to Renewal of Talent Management Software

The Board approved the purchase of talent management software from Power School of Folsom, California. The Unified Talent (TalentEd) system is a comprehensive talent management platform and includes an electronic application, job posting board, hiring, and onboarding platform. It is used as the central applicant tracking system. The software also provides an electronic records database for storing employee hiring and personnel information and also includes a contracts module for issuing employment contracts. Additionally, the Sync module allows our HR personnel to upload data files directly into TalentEd records. The national job board, School Spring, and the video interviewing platform, Spark hire, are integrated with the applicant tracking system and allows for a more seamless application and hiring process. The total cost of the purchase is $160,603.22 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds and FY 2025 Title II-A Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

E. Requested Board Action Relative to the Renewal of Contracts for Instructional Services

The Board approved the renewal of contracts with the following vendors: Edu Infotech International Resources, Inc.; Knowledge Resources Group, Inc.; Future Promise Educational Services, Inc.; and Intalage.

• Edu Infotech International Resources, Inc.
  The Board approved a contract with Edu Infotech International Resources for an additional contract term. This is an international teacher placement agency to provide fully certified, experienced teachers for critical teaching fields, such as math, science, special education, and foreign languages. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $456,752.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Knowledge Resources Group, Inc.
  The Board approved a contract with Knowledge Resources Group, Inc. for an additional contract term. Knowledge Resources Group is an international teacher placement agency to provide fully certified, experienced teachers for critical teaching fields, such as math, science, special education, and foreign languages. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $1,192,177.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

• Future Promise Educational Services, Inc.
  The Board approved a contract with Future Promise Educational Services, Inc. for an additional contract term. This is an international teacher placement agency that provides fully certified, experienced teachers for critical teaching fields, such as math, science, special education, and foreign languages. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $241,005.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Intalage
  The Board approved a contract with Intalage for an additional contract term. Knowledge Resources Group is an international teacher placement agency to provide fully certified, experienced teachers for critical teaching fields, such as math, science, special education, and foreign languages. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $2,641,286.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

F. Requested Board Action Relative to 2026 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Local Plan

The Board approved the 2026 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Program Improvement local plan. In accordance with the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, each eligible local school system must submit an annual Local Plan/Application for Career and Technical Education. According to the Perkins Act, federal funds are tied to the date that the Local Plan is approved by the Local Board of Education. Board approval allows for the funds to begin to be used for the 2025-2026 school year once they are available from the state.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

G. Requested Board Action Relative to the Purchase of Engineering and Manufacturing Equipment

The Board approved the purchase of engineering and manufacturing equipment for Newton High School from Technical Training Aids of Birmingham, Alabama. The equipment and materials purchased will provide the first step in a phased plan to ensure that engineering students are prepared for the emerging engineering and manufacturing careers that are in high demand across the county and region. This purchase will provide the necessary equipment, supplies, and curriculum resources for IGNITE Manufacturing Courses 1 and 2 to be implemented at Newton High School. Eastside and Alcovy High School will receive these equipment upgrades in subsequent phases of implementation., followed by all three schools receiving additional upgrades to offer courses 3 and 4 of the program. It is expected that all three schools will fully implement the IGNITE program within the next three years. The total expense is $187,652.00 to be purchased by FY 2025 Local CTAE budgeted funds and FY 2025 CTAE Perkins V Grant Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

H. Requested Board Action Relative to Purchase of Curriculum Resources

The Board approved purchases with the following vendors: Discovery Education; Progress Learning; and Turnitin.

• Discovery Education, Inc.
  The Board approved the purchase of digital educational resources from Discovery Education, Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina. Discovery Education is a leading provider of digital educational content and services, offering a wide range of resources to enhance learning experiences in schools and classrooms. Through its innovative platform, Discovery Education empowers educators with engaging multimedia content, interactive activities, and professional development opportunities. The company’s extensive library of videos, virtual field trips, and interactive lessons covers a wide range of subjects, catering to various grade levels and curriculum standards. Their materials are designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among students, enabling them to explore and comprehend complex concepts in an immersive and interactive manner. Discovery Education also provides educators with comprehensive professional development resources. Through its professional learning events, webinars, and workshops, the company supports teachers in implementing best practices and integrating technology effectively into their instruction. The total cost is $94,900.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Progress Learning
  The Board approved the purchase of digital educational resources from Progress Learning, LLC of Atlanta, Georgia. Progress Learning is a comprehensive educational platform providing standards-aligned content with engaging activities, tools, and assessments in core content areas. It also offers ACT and SAT courses. The platform creates individualized learning plans that target meaningful learning opportunities for students. These adaptive assessments and teacher-created assessments equip teachers to make data-driven instructional decisions and promote better engagement from students due to focusing on their areas of need. The platform also generates reports that assist with progress monitoring. Progress Learning will serve as a supplementary assessment resources platform for English language arts, math, science, and social studies. The total cost is $49,500.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Turnitin
  The Board approved the purchase of digital educational resources from Turnitin, Inc., of Oakland, California. Turnitin is a program that checks for original thinking skills and provides a plagiarism prevention service by providing feedback for citation mistakes or inappropriate copying. When students submit assignments, Turnitin compares them to text in its massive database of student work, websites, books, articles, etc. This technology tool helps students meet writing expectations and learn how to properly reference and cite. Additionally, the platform is reconfigured to include Artificial Intelligence (AI) detection which deters students from copying directly from an AI source. Turnitin is activated in all Canvas courses. The total cost is $37,945.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025

I. Requested Board Action Relative to Purchase of Headphones

The Board approved the purchase of headphones for elementary students from Virtucom. With the acquisition of Amira through HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), our students will benefit from personalized reading tutoring, fluency assessments, and targeted micro-interventions aimed at developing foundational skills. To effectively utilize Amira, students will need to listen to prompts and respond accordingly. Therefore, it is essential for them to have headphones equipped with microphones to clearly hear Amira’s instructions and to communicate effectively. This setup will help students concentrate on the program with minimal external distractions. Furthermore, the integrated microphone will capture students’ voices while minimizing background noise, which is crucial for accurate data collection. The total cost is $150,975.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

J. Requested Board Action Relative to Purchase of Audio Enhancement EPIC ViewPath System

The Board approved the purchase of EPIC ViewPath for Flint Hill Elementary, Live Oak Elementary, Middle Ridge Elementary, Oak Hill Elementary, and Rocky Plains Elementary from Audio Enhancement. EPIC ViewPath is a fully integrated audio-video solution that combines Audio Enhancement’s audio systems, Security Alert for Education (SAFE) System, bells, paging, intercom, and classroom cameras. This purchase includes hardware, software upgrades, equipment and programming, and fully upgrades the bells, paging and intercom systems. This is part of an ongoing, comprehensive effort to enhance the safety and security of facilities throughout the school system. The acquisition will be completed through the CPA4Schools Cooperative Purchasing Agency. The total cost of the purchase is $1,950,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2025 Capital Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

K. Requested Board Action Relative to District Insurance Coverage/Workers’ Compensation

The Board approved the renewal of contracts with three vendors for an additional contract term, including: Aegis, Georgia School Boards Association-Risk Management Fund, and Charles Taylor.

• Aegis
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract for excess workers’ compensation insurance coverage with Aegis for an additional contract term. Excess workers’ compensation insurance is a policy written to indemnify the self-insured employer for workers’ compensation claims (and employers’ liability claims) exceeding a certain dollar amount, which, in the school system’s case, is $650,000.000. (The policy in question has a self-insured retention per occurrence of $650,000.00, and a maximum limit of indemnity per occurrence which is statutory). The school system’s broker solicited prices from insurance providers in the marketplace, and Aegis offered the lowest price. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $104,113.00 to be paid for with Fy 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Georgia School Boards Association-Risk Management Fund
  The Board approved the contract renewal for liability insurance coverage with GSBA for an additional contract term. The GSBA-RMF is a member-owned program and is managed by GSBA professional staff. Annual premiums are based on actuarially determined losses and operating expenses for the program coupled with risk transfer costs. If claims and operating expenses are less than the premium, the excess funds result in a surplus to the GSBA-RMS. Money held in reserve to pay claims earns investment income, which contributes to surplus. Unlike commercial insurance companies, excess funds and any investment income earned on the premium held by the GSBA-RMF accrues to the benefit of its membership. Surplus funds may be returned to the membership in the form of dividends or used to keep prices stable for members in future years. The policy period will be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $1,804,891.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Charles Taylor
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract for third-party administrator services to Charles Taylor for an additional term. Charles Taylor, as the third-party administrator (TPA), provides a turnkey solution for comprehensive TPA services including claims management and administration, reporting services and records retention, risk management, cost containment, quality assurance and communication, and claims settlement and resolution. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $49,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

L. Requested Board Action Relative to Renewal of System-Wide Beverage Agreement

The Board approved the renewal of a beverage agreement with Coca-Cola United of Atlanta, Georgia. In 2021, the school system entered into a five-year beverage agreement with Coca-Cola United. The current five-year agreement (annually renewable at the discretion of the Board) continues many features found in the earlier accord. It includes a superintendent’s sponsorship ($40,000.00 over the life of the agreement), the provision of plaques for Teacher of the Year Awards for every school and free products and athletic equipment ($133,400.00 over the life of the agreement). The agreement also delivers rebates on concession sales, fundraisers, and contains a volume incentive program that increases the rebates on direct delivery sales over and above estimated base usages. In exchange, the school system grants Coca-Cola United exclusive marketing and sales rights for all beverages, as defined in the agreement, sold on school property. Additionally, all concessionaires, teams, associations, boosters, etc. shall purchase their products, which are covered in the agreement, directly from Coca-Cola United. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

M. Requested Board Action Relative to Renewal of Contract and Purchase for Student Services

The Board approved an annual renewable contract and purchase with two vendors for Student Services—K-12 Solutions Group (Student Information System) and USHA Software *Funding Analysis Software).

• K-12 Solutions Group
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract for the student information system from K-12 Solutions Group of Commerce, Georgia. Four entities within Griffin RESA (Butts County School System, Fayette County School System, Griffin-Spalding County School System, and the Newton County School System) worked collaboratively to develop and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), for a student information system. At the end of the RFP process, Infinite Campus by K-12 Solutions Group was selected as offering the best value to the school systems. Infinite Campus provides the integrated tools needed to streamline student administration, enables stakeholder collaboration and individualize instruction. The entire system is web-based so teachers, administrators, parents, and students have access to information from anywhere at any time. The system also serves as a district-wide data warehouse allowing student data to be entered once and leveraged across the entire district supporting data-driven decision-making. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The total cost is $273,354.10 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• USHA Software
  The Board approved the purchase of funding analysis software from USHA Software of Alpharetta, Georgia. USHA Software creates software programs geared specifically to Georgia K-12 schools that help school system maximize state funding. The funding analysis software provides administrators with real-time visibility into their funding data and streamlines the reporting process. The FTE Track component helps identify, correct and validate unfunded students and segments and eliminates nearly 75% of the time needed to process FTEs. The SPED Track scans numerous special education categories for data discrepancies that can lead to loss of, or lesser funding than the school system is in fact eligible to receive. The software integrates with our current student information system solution, and because it is designed for Georgia schools, changes made at the state level are integrated into the software as soon as the Department of Education publishes them. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The total cost is $53,190.06 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

N. Requested Board Action Relative to Purchase of Student Well-Being Learning Software

The Board approved the purchase of well-being learning software from Rethink Ed of New York, New York. Rethink Ed provides an evidence-based solution that is flexible, scalable and is designed to empower educators to meet the needs of children and their families. The Rethink platform provides students, teachers, administrators, counselors and parents/caregivers the tools to develop stronger emotional support systems. Educators and caregivers can use on-demand videos and resources to help them manage their own mental health and wellness. They can access instructional materials, lessons, and activities to implement with their students/children. School counselors will have the ability to assign lessons based on group and individual requirements and have access to resources to assist students both in and out of the classroom. The Rethink platform helps to meet the needs of the whole child. The total cost is $80,750.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

O. Requested Board Action Relative to Contract for Mental Health Clinicians

The Board approved a contract for mental health clinicians from Hazel Health of Irving, Texas. Hazel Health will collaborate with the school system in serving children, adolescents, and their families who need such support. This support is identified as school-based behavioral health services. Licensed therapists will help students achieve mental wellness through virtual therapy sessions. The total cost is $180,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

P. Requested Board Action Relative to Renewal of Contracts for the Facilities Department

The Board approved annual renewable contracts for an additional contract term with six vendors including: EMC Security, Automated Logic Corporation, Home Depot Pro, Prime Maintenance, Georgia Waste Systems Inc., and ARS Mechanical.

• EMC Security
  The Board approved a renewable contract with EMC Security. The contract was originally awarded on June 22, 2021. It prescribes a turnkey solution for comprehensive third-party monitoring, periodic testing, maintenance/repair and installation/construction services for low voltage electronic equipment for intrusion detection, fire alarms and closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance and recording device systems for all school system facilities. The vendor has performed satisfactorily and met all contractual requirements. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $250,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Automated Logic Corporation
  The Board approved a renewable contract with Automated Logic Corporation for an additional term. The Automated Logic Corporation (ALC) provides a maintenance contract for all the components of the facility automation system used at the schools and facilities within the school system. The vendor provides regular inspections, as well as service and maintenance on equipment as required. The equipment allows remote access to, and manipulation of, HVAC and boiler temperature controls within buildings, timer settings on outside lighting, as well as monitoring temperatures in walk-in coolers and freezers. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $70,988.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

• Home Depot Pro
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract with Home Depot Pro of Jacksonville, Florida for an additional term. The school system will use a contract managed by Omnia, a national purchasing cooperative, for the custodial program contract. The contract includes the extension of an environmentally friendly cleaning program (products and processes), a full line of supplies including consumables, chemicals, dispensing stations, janitorial products and supplies; delivery of a master plan detailing processes to ensure clean facilities; implementation of a comprehensive training program which teaches the skills required to achieve the objectives of the master cleaning plan; a wide variety of effective and efficient equipment options; and the repair and service of all equipment to ensure optimal operation. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $715,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• Prime Maintenance
  The Board approved a renewal of the contract for pest control services with Prime Maintenance of Dacula, Georgia. Prime Maintenance provides pest control services as well as treatment for fire ant services three times per year. The vendor has performed satisfactorily, met all contractual requirements, and has agreed to continue under the same terms and conditions of the original contract. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $47,946.90 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

• Georgia Waste Systems, Inc.
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract for waste disposal and recycling with Georgia Waste Systems, Inc. doing business as Waste Management of Lake City, Georgia. Waste Management provides garbage and recycling containers at schools and facilities as well as regularly scheduled disposal of the contents therein. Bids were evaluated on the cost per receptacle per pickup for both garbage and cardboard recycling dumpsters. Although the bid went out to numerous vendors, only Waste Management submitted a bid in response to this solicitation. The vendor has performed satisfactorily and met all contractual requirements. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $440,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.
  
  
• ARS Mechanical
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract for HVAC services with ARS Mechanical. ARS mechanical prescribes a turnkey solution for comprehensive HVAC services including maintenance, repair, renovations, installation or alteration of HVAC systems including heating systems, cooling systems, air handline units (fans, motors, duct work, filters, coil units, etc.), associated equipment (valves, gauges, motor drives, belts, wiring, etc.), and other components as required. The vendor has performed satisfactorily, met all contractual requirements, and has agreed to continue under the same terms and conditions of the original contract. The effective date will be June 27, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 26, 2026. The estimated contract value is $200,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 General Funds.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

Q. Requested Board Action Relative to Renewal of Contracts for the School Nutrition Program

The Board approved the renewal of contracts and purchases with the following vendors in support of the School Nutrition Program: Royal Food Service, Gordon Food Services, Samples Foods; Bimbo Bakeries USA; New Dairy Kentucky; and Coca-Cola Refreshments.

• Royal Food Services
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract with Royal Food Services. The school system will utilize a Georgia Educational cooperative (GEC) contract to purchase the required items. The contract includes the produce, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables and associated products needed by the school system and reflects the nutritional requirements mandated by state and federal guidelines and legislation. Pricing is based on the Atlanta Terminal Report for Fruits & Vegetables weekly index provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service Market News. The effective date will be July 1, 2025 and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract is $500,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 School Nutrition Program Funds.
  
  
• Gordon Food Service and Samples Food
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract with Gordon Food Service and Samples for an additional term. The contracts were first approved on June 18, 2024. The specifications cover a majority of the food centered requirements needed for the upcoming school year. It includes approximately 456 food items, including meat, cereals, spices, sauces, frozen and packaged foods as well as canned fruits and vegetables, for all school locations. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $6,300,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 School Nutrition Program Funds.

• Bimbo Bakeries USA
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract with Bimbo Bakeries USA for an additional term. The school system will utilize a Georgia Educational Cooperative (GEC) contract to purchase the required bread and associated bakery products. The contract includes the core items needed by the school system, and reflects the nutritional changes mandated by state and federal guidelines and legislation. The effective date will be August 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be July 31, 2026. The estimated contract value is $200,000.00 to be paid for with FY 2026 School Nutrition Program Funds.
  

• Coca-Cola Refreshments
  The Board approved the renewal of a contract with Coca-Cola Refreshments for an additional term. The contracts were first approved on June 18, 2024. The specifications cover beverages for the school nutrition program. The beverage items included assorted vegetable and fruit juice blends, zero calorie and regular sports drinks, plain and flavored waters, and numerous types of fruit juices. The items are sold to students on an a la carte basis. The effective date will be July 1, 2025, and the expiration date will be June 30, 2026. The estimated contract value is $60,000.00 to be paid for with FY 20265 School Nutrition Program Funds.

R. Requested Board Action Relative to Facility Usage Agreement

The Board approved a request to use the Newton County STEAM Academy facility. The Next level VBC LLC has requested to use the Newton County STEAM Academy gym for volleyball practice. The agreement is for September 2025 to April 2026. The principal has agreed to the arrangement.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

S. Requested Board Action Relative to Surplus Property

The Board approved identified items as surplus to be disposed of per Board Policy DO. The school system makes every effort to redistribute and reuse its equipment and property throughout the component’s useful life, or as long as practical. Items are only designated as surplus when they are deemed no longer necessary for school purposes. The are then aggregated and disposed of utilizing one or more of the approved methodologies outlined in Board Policy DO. Care is taken to discard items in as environmentally friendly manner as practical.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

T. Requested Board Action Relative to Superintendent’s Recommendations in Executive Session

The Board approved recommendations presented by Superintendent Duke Bradley in executive session.

APPROVED by 5-0 vote on June 17, 2025.

At its June 17, 2025, meeting, the Board of Education named Dr. Matt Body as the principal of Rocky Plains Elementary School, and Dr. Laurie Weaver was named the principal of South Salem Elementary School.

Dr. Ashante Everett was named Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning.

Email: info@newton.k12.ga.us
Website: www.newtoncountyschools.org
Location: 2109 Newton Drive NE, Covington, GA 30014, USA
Phone: 770-787-1330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewtonCountySchools
Twitter: @NewtonCoSchools