The Emanuel County Board of Education met on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at Swainsboro Elementary School with the following members in attendance: Brandon Jones, Del Brown, John Allen Bailey, Tanya Lane, Elizabeth DeVane and Jeanette Harden. Cherie Hooks was not present. Board Chair Del Brown welcomed everyone calling the meeting to order. Brandon Jones delivered the invocation followed by Tanya Lane leading the Pledge of Allegiance. John Allen Bailey made a motion to approve the agenda. Brandon Jones seconded the motion. Del Brown, Tanya Lane, Brandon Jones, John Allen Bailey, Jeanette Harden and Elizabeth DeVane voted “yes”. CARRIED.
SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS
Dr. Warnock thanked the Board of Education Members for their service, noting that it is Board Member Appreciation Week.
a. Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Administrative Recognition-Swainsboro High School-Dr. Denise Warnock
i. Heather Carmichael
b. Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Administrative Recognition-Twin City Elementary-Dr. Denise Warnock
i. Lacey Coleman
c. Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Administrative Recognition-Emanuel County Schools-Dr. Denise Warnock
i. Chandra Hooks
d. Swainsboro Elementary Jr. Beta Awards-Stefanie Mason
i. Performance by Jr. Beta Club Large Group Performing Arts
Swainsboro Elementary School - Jr. Beta State Competition - Savannah, GA - December 4-5, 2024 - Sponsor/Teacher: Whitney Claxton, Elizabeth Bishop, Rachel Burkhalter, Amber Street, Reagan Moxley, Delphine Bostic, Susan Stephenson, Whitney Wheeler, Rebecca Palmer and Tori Wheeler - Student/Staff Name: Justus Adams, 4th Place Marketing and Communications; Trinity Armstrong, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Emerson Averett (Emmie), 4th Place Marketing and Communications – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Joshua Bedgood, 2nd Place Technology – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Nicholas Brewer, 2nd Place Black & White Photography – 2nd Place Technology; Zachariah Brown, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Johnna Canady, 4th Place Scrapbooking; Joseph Castrejon Villalta, 2nd Place Spanish 4th Grade; Kennedy Clark, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Benton Claxton, 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts –Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Emma Claxton, 5th Place Quilling – 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Hadley Claxton, 5th Place Quilling – 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Preston Claxton, 2nd Place Social Studies 5th Grade – 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Raelyn Collins, 1st Place Woodworking; Greyson Conley (Reed), 2nd Place Technology – 1st Place large Group Performing Arts; Sara Kathryn Deriso, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Jase English, 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Lauren Grubbs, 2nd Place Quiz Bowl; Elyce Gunn, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Bryson Hall, 2nd Place Quiz Bowl; Cadyn Howard, 3rd Place Language Arts 5th Grade – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Joshua Johnson, 4th Place Social Studies 4th Grade – 4th Place Marketing and Communications; Jackson Kulpa, 2nd Place Technology; Preston Logan, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Luna Manjarres-Ibanez, 1st Place Spanish 5th Grade – 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Cadence McCoy, 3rd Place Onsite Art Drawing; Dylan Rivera-Cabrera, 2nd Place Technology; Arabella Sheppard, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Lyndon Singletary, 4th Place Marketing and Communications – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; August Street, 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – 4th Place Marketing and communications – Top 8 finalist Musicology; Mylee Weber, 4th Place Marketing and Communications; Brandtley Wheeler, 1st Place Health & PE 5th Grade – 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – Top 8 Finalist Musicology; Annie Parker Williams, 4th Place Scrapbooking - 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Caroline Williford, 1st Place Large Group Performing Arts; Club Project – Sponsors: Whitney Claxton, Whitney Wheeler and Rebecca Palmer, 4th Place Service Learning Board; Club Project – Sponsors: Whitney Claxton and Elizabeth Bishop, 5th Place Two Dimensional Design
e. Emanuel County Schools Young Georgia Authors Awards-Stefanie Mason
K - Swainsboro Primary School - Brody Powell - The Four Little Ninjas; 1 - Swainsboro Primary School - Rowyn Mendieta - Hiss and The Mouse; 2 - Swainsboro Primary School - Khalani Davis - The Worst Day Ever; 3 - Twin City Elementary - Danni Lynn Williamson - Winners Are Made; 4 - Swainsboro Elementary School - Annie Parker Williams - Paisley the Polka Dotted Pig; 5 - Swainsboro Elementary School - Brandtley Wheeler - Skiing on Sugar Mountain; 6 - Swainsboro Middle School - Bailey Tharpe - Life, Love, Death and Everything In Between; 7 - Swainsboro Middle School - Sean Bragg (Trevor) - The Veiled Truth; 8 - Emanuel County Institute - Alexis Rowland - Fly High and Free; 9 - Emanuel County Institute - Lawson Frye – Overcoming; 10 - Swainsboro High School - Dahlia Nelson - The Thing; 11 - Swainsboro High School - Kali Screws - Batman and The Joker; 12 - Swainsboro High School - Cari Phillips - Human: Broken, Yet Whole
f. Emanuel County Schools-First District RESA Young Georgia Authors Awards-Stefanie Mason i. Winner-Danni Lynn Williamson
ii. Honorable Mention-Lawson Frye and Cari Phillips
g. Swainsboro High School Honor Band Awards-Stefanie Mason
GMEA District 10 Honor Band - Augusta, GA - February 6-8, 2025 - Sponsor/Teacher: Lindy Sikes - Grayson Brassell, 2nd Chair, Trumpet (9th -10th Grade Band); Robert Brown (Bo), 1st Chair, Trumpet (11th- 12th Grade Band); Kylee Farley, 6th Chair, (11th-12th Grade Band)
h. Swainsboro High School All-State Band Awards-Stefanie Mason
Swainsboro High School - All-State Band - Athens, GA - February 27-March 1, 2025 - Sponsor/Teacher: Lindy Sikes - Grayson Brassell, 1st Chair, Trumpet (9th -10th Grade Band); Robert Brown (Bo), 9th Chair, Trumpet (11th- 12th Grade Band)
i. Georgia School Board Appreciation Week Proclamation-March 10-14, 2025-Dr. Denise Warnock j. Whole Board Training Information-Dr. Denise Warnock
k. Swainsboro Elementary School Presentation-Lara Norton, April Woods, and Whitney Claxton
DISCUSSION OF CONSENT AGENDA
The Consent Agenda was presented and approved as follows:
a. Approval of Minutes of the February 11, 2025, Regular Board Meeting.
b. Approval of Financial Reports – Mollie Smith
c. Approval of Transfer of Reserve Funds to Capital Outlay-Mollie Smith
d. Approval of High-Quality Instructional Materials-K5-Stefanie Mason
e. Approval of 4 Passenger Micro Bird/2025 Ford Chassis Multi-Functional School Activity Bus-Rusty Kea
f. Approval of Architectural Contract for Swainsboro Middle School Roof Project-Jansen Ware g. Approval of Adoption of Intergovernmental Agreement for P-25 Radio System Access-Jansen Ware
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION –Hank Aldridge expressed concerns over following protocol. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA
The Board approved the consent agenda as presented.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
EMPLOYMENTS:
The Board approved the Renewal, employment, retired, retirement and resignations of the fol-lowing certified and classified employees:
CERTIFIED RENEWALS:
Jordan, Natalie; Page, Jan; Smith, Chiquita; Williams, Inderia
RECOMMENDATIONS, CERTIFIED
Andrae, Erica - Teacher - SPS - 7/28/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Cross, Meredith - Teacher - TCE - 7/25/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Gray, Robert - Principal - SMS - 7/1/2025 - NCIC In-complete; Grimm, Madison - Teacher - SES - 7/28/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Renew, Danielle - Director of Finance - Central Office - 4/1/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Shaw, Rachel - Teacher - SPS - 7/28/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Thompson, Emily - Teacher - Pre-K - 7/28/2025 - NCIC Complete; Weaver, Avery - Teacher - SPS - 7/28/2025 - NCIC Incomplete
RESIGNATIONS, CERTIFIED
Coxwell, Devin - Teacher - SPS - 5/28/2025; Curry, Cassidy - Teacher - ECI - 5/28/2025; Favors, Denene - Teacher - SHS - 5/28/2025; Ferrell, Savannah - Teacher - SES - 5/28/2025; Landing, Gayla - Teacher - Pre-K - 5/28/2025; Miller, David - Principal - SMS - 6/30/2025; Patton, Nelson - Teacher - SHS - 5/28/2025; Patton, Salina - Teacher - SHS - 5/28/2025; Tann, Michelle - Teacher - SES - 5/28/2025; Williams, Zakia - Teacher - SHS - 5/28/2025
RETIREMENTS, CERTIFIED
Holmes, Dorene - Teacher - ECI - 1/1/2025; Norris, Barry - DOE Ag-Area Teacher - Board of Education - 6/30/2025
RECOMMENDATIONS, CLASSIFIED
McLeon, Selena - Custodian - Pre-K - 3/3/2025 - NCIC Complete; Nelson, Rufus - General Maintenance - ECI - 3/17/2025 - NCIC Complete; Smith, Melvin - Sub Custodian - Central Office - 3/3/2025 - NCIC Incomplete; Stapleton, Jordan - Clerical - Pre-K/EHS - 7/21/2025 - NCIC Complete; Wiggins, Matthew - Custodian/Maintenance - Maintenance - 3/3/2025 - NCIC Incomplete
RESIGNATIONS, CLASSIFIED
Landing, Allison - Paraprofessional - TCE - 5/28/2025
2024-2025 TRANSFERS
Adams, Pamela - SHS-Teacher - SES-Teacher - 7/28/2025; Akridge, Kyler - SPS-Teacher - TCE-Teacher - 7/28/2025; Moxley, Karen - MG ELA Teacher - ECI-Intervention Specialist - 7/28/2025; Taylor, Amanda - SPS-Teacher - TCE-Teacher - 7/28/2025; Turner, Joan - SES-Teacher - TCE-Teacher - 7/28/2025
