Cherokee County School District, Georgia

Cherokee County School District is a school district in Georgia. It is located in Canton, Georgia and operates 41 schools. Cherokee County’s first public school opened in 1834 at the Etowah Academy in the west/central part of the county. Since then, the county has grown to the 8th largest public school system in the State of Georgia.

A+
Taxes
Budget
Meetings
Elected Officials
Administrative Officials
Contracts
Audits
Public Records
Academics
Background Checks
Transparency grading process

Website evaluation

See also: Evaluation of Georgia school district websites

The good

• The current budget is posted online.
• The past three years' budgets are archived online.
• An explanatory citizens' guide to the budget is posted.
• Tax information is posted on the website as part of the budget.
• School board meeting information, including agenda, schedule, minutes and videos, is available online and archived for 10 years.
• Board member information and individual contact information is available online.
• A list of superintendent's cabinet members with individual contact information is provided online.
• Administrative officials' contact information is listed on department web pages.
• The three most recent financial audits are available online.
• Guidelines are provided online for filing Open Records Requests.
• Instructions for filing Open Records Requests are posted.
• Academic performance information is provided online.
• Information for bidders and vendors is available.
• Background check policies and practices are posted.

Leadership

School Board

District	Member
Chair	Janet Read
District 1	Kelly Marlow
District 2	Patsy Jordan
District 3	Michael Geist
District 4	Robert Rechsteiner "Rick Steiner"
District 5	Rob Usher
District 6	Robert Wofford
Student Advisor	Gabrielle Roth

Teacher Contracts

Georgia state law provides that school systems must offer contracts for the upcoming school year by April 15 of the current school year (OCGA 20-2-211 (b)). If an educator does not receive a written notice of non-renewal by April 15, then the contract is automatically renewed for the next school year, unless the educator notifies the local board of education in writing not later than May 1 of their intent not to accept employment for the following school year.

Administrative Officials

Name	Title
Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo	Superintendent
Bobby Blount	Assistant Superintendent Accountability, Technology, and Strategic Planning
Letitia Cline	Assistant Superintendent Educational Programs, Student Support and Professional Development
Candler Howell	Assistant Superintendent Financial Management
Dr. Brian Hightower	Assistant Superintendent School Operations
Trey Olson	Assistant Superintendent Personnel Management
Russ Sims	Assistant Superintendent Support Services and Facilities/ Construction Management
Barbara P. Jacoby	Director Public Information Communications and Partnerships
Mark Kissel	Police Chief
Melissa Whatley	Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent

Unions

Collective bargaining is illegal since Georgia is a "right to work" state, so typical union activity is absent from the Muscogee County School District. Teachers are allowed to join professional organizations. In Georgia, those include:

• Professional Association of Georgia Educators
• Georgia Association of Educators
• Georgia Science Teachers Association
• English Teachers Association of Georgia
• Georgia Classical Association
• Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
• National Education Association

Budget

Cherokee County School District publishes its annual budget on its website.

Expenditures by Category
School Year	Staff Expenses		Student Services		Operational Expenses		Debt Service		Other		Budget Total
	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget	Total	% of Budget
2013-2014	$235,255,770	57.9%	$42,034,348	10.4%	$80,810,772	19.9%	$47,061,090	11.6%	$869,249	0.2%	$406,031,229
Averages:	$235,255,770	58%	$42,034,348	10%	$80,810,772	20%	$47,061,090	12%	$869,249	0%	$406,031,229

Academic performance

Cherokee County School District (CCSD) is recognized as one of the top school districts in Georgia, and its schools and staff routinely receive state and national recognition for programs and performance. CCSD schools consistently perform above State and National averages on all assessments. The School District earned the highest average SAT scores in the State in 2012.

SAT AVERAGE SCORES GEORGIA 1452 NATION 1498 CCSD 1587

ACT AVERAGE SCORES GEORGIA 20.7 NATION 21.1 CCSD 22.7

ITBS: 5TH GRADE COMPOSITE NATION 50 CCSD 69

ITBS: 8TH GRADE COMPOSITE NATION 50 CCSD 67

99% of 11th graders passed the 2012 Georgia High School Writing Assessment on the first attempt

CCSD ranked in the top 5 among large systems on all eight subject area End Of Course Tests (EOCT) in 2012, ranking number 1 in four of the eight subjects

80% of the AP exams taken by CCSD students scored a 3, 4 or 5 for college credit; national average: 59%

Reform

The Cherokee County School District has received national recognition including the national 2008 MAGNA Award for its visionary school choice options.

The School District's innovative Cherokee Academies school choice program has earned praise from State educational leaders, especially for its promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) knowledge among elementary school students.

The School District is a participant in Georgia's pilot of the national Race to the Top education reform program.

External links

 

• Cherokee County School District