[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6187844,"mediaKeyId","5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb","parentId",5064290,"title","Muscogee County board confirms multiple administrative appointments, names Carver media center for Lindsey","audioSeconds",2107,"startMs",3609000,"endMs",5716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb&start=3609&end=5716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb/thumbnail_3609000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6187844/Georgia/Muscogee-County-board-confirms-multiple-administrative-appointments-names-Carver-media-center-for-Lindsey","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187844-08cc8510e861c76017eea1b0606747f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197191&Signature=QS1Jell28BVpCIL50dJObO7WO5uh6Zz82TkTo8xpAw4bSy1QsZB3A46zau2EbiLN1O65HsqV6HNP4GCN3pj2cjPa5joNSblO0Qvu3vcY32RigC9Duot5pWXjzekKDHgGL1scI6Q2BRRs6vVaOf1FP6fynw4UcsHqnGKAf29-Stpzf0tETye2R~246EW6YoyZm0yhxvw9lkzw7IS7MmLhPhjAahxlskoSAF7K1TPkPhSo0Ga4qIqa5~ezcXzeqg7djFnJam-k9Y-jDWiPdceLJ1246PswQ7dEi6ssMulo~5X84YcGYWfXpjYpYNN0OJWXDrEERLnAmEffSB2u072grA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-24T13:33:01Z","article","The Muscogee County School District Board of Education approved several administrative appointments at its June 23 meeting, including leadership changes across curriculum, accountability, athletics and school‑level administration.

The board voted to appoint LaChrista Thornton as executive director of programs and exceptional students; Emily Stakebaum as senior director of accountability and research; Kendall Mills as director of district‑wide athletics; Laquoyah Day as principal of George Washington Carver High School; Daniel Albright as principal of East Columbus Magnet Academy; and multiple assistant‑principal appointments across the district. Motions to approve the recommendations were made and seconded by board members and the agenda items passed.

LaChrista Thornton, after her appointment, cited Jeremiah 29:11 in brief remarks and said she looked forward to partnering districtwide on strategic priorities. Several newly approved appointees expressed gratitude and said they were returning to serve the district they graduated from or had a long history with.

The board also unanimously approved the naming of the George Washington Carver High School media center as the Christopher B. Lindsey Media Center for Academic Excellence and held a reception schedule for outgoing staff, including acknowledgements for staff retirements.

These personnel votes were taken under consent and action items; the board did not amend the recommendations and each passed by voice vote at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Muscogee County School Board Meeting June 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The school board approved a slate of hires and leadership appointments, including executive director for exceptional students, new principals and directors, and voted to name the George Washington Carver High School media center for Christopher B. Lindsey.","taxTitle","Muscogee County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",15357,"location","Georgia","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6187849,"District highlights behavior‑supports program, credits Chancelight partnership for keeping students local",2283,5787000,8070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb&start=5787&end=8070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb/thumbnail_5787000.jpg","/articles/6187849/Georgia/District-highlights-behaviorsupports-program-credits-Chancelight-partnership-for-keeping-students-local","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187849-a16b4533f11e6dd5a09ecd277142f746/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197191&Signature=bQlm2rZQI2rp2OXpcq92WbZAEMVbGdFj049RMley-K2NWqtAv61-Ar1iRCHqazV6P7JtHIEG5AYACjsek2juRtbIc8TQe7knitubSHrvRxYKmhdncSnDeBSce~xCalp0qIrk9biveXv4avy2HsybY43bT8Psa9pgofOfZNn4txAD8~4VZmnNS3XgFSJnUVxJlKMrbq6U75suq-XbhQq43w8QAdh6tUinDxu0MRsWy9dVJZ9XiZ4pg02UHKw3su-~Gaz~gcMY12URePqGKZZ8w2Pq6t5eIUdpjNmQbESR4o8GMPZr92YTE6u6KhZtvn1zfI-uK4oBtSJMZvAGEev8cA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff on June 23 gave a detailed update on the Muscogee County School District’s behavior‑supports program and its ongoing partnership with Chancelight, which provides specialized staff and therapeutic services at multiple district sites.

Victoria Robinson, the district’s behavior supports program manager, and Ryan Schleck, lead board‑certified behavior analyst, described a multi‑site model that serves K–12 students with intensive behavioral and mental‑health needs. Robinson said the program currently operates Chancelight‑supported classrooms and Muscogee County‑staffed classrooms across elementary, middle and high‑school campuses and at a therapeutic day program on the Marshall Success Center campus.

Robinson and Schleck told the board that last year the program reported a 100% course‑pass rate for participating students, a 100% graduation rate for seniors in the program, and a reduction from 481 out‑of‑school suspension days for the cohort to zero students with more than 10 OSS days. Robinson said about 14% of students served transitioned back to less‑restrictive environments during the year.

The presentation listed classroom counts by site, including five classrooms at Gentian (a mix of district and Chancelight staff), four at Mary Buckner Academy, two at Allen Elementary, two at Blackman Road Middle, two at Midland Middle, three at Double Churches Middle, and multiple high‑school placements at Shaw, Kendrick and Northside. Robinson said 47 students were served in the district’s therapeutic day program during the last reporting period.

Officials emphasized financial impacts: meeting federal/state special‑education indicators saved the district from losing an estimated 15% of a special‑education funding line (Robinson said that loss would have equaled roughly $1.3 million); keeping students in‑district rather than sending them to residential treatment avoids substantially larger costs, Robinson said, estimating roughly $200,000 per residential placement and citing a notional $9.4 million avoidance number when aggregated.

Board members asked for additional cost detail and for the administration to provide a full “all‑in” cost accounting for the Chancelight contract, including the district’s own staff costs that support the program. Several board members praised the program’s outcomes and encouraged trustees to visit classrooms to see the work firsthand.

The presentation was an informational update; no substantive contract change was approved at the June 23 meeting.","Muscogee County School District presented an update on its behavior‑supports program and its partnership with Chancelight, reporting outcomes such as transitions to less‑restrictive settings, reduced suspensions, and cost avoidance compared with out‑of‑district residential placements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6187854,"Muscogee County board adopts FY26 budget and keeps millage at 23.075",902,937000,1839000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb&start=937&end=1839","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064290-62d6ee1602c7bf1d27120881873d54eb/thumbnail_937000.jpg","/articles/6187854/Georgia/Muscogee-County-board-adopts-FY26-budget-and-keeps-millage-at-23075","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187854-7bab04f6b14c40bc30fe8f42840c098e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197191&Signature=VQ6Nbydx66YyobwYdTtPltOXXa~JWmyXnkm~j1UMh~V6PQOfkTadnp1tV0aDFGKLFRXZgUSykYhcp7HMdFjaNZu73UR-zah5EQH0LNKhAA1yKnEl8LDw7-5CFAzj4tHubtKX56z6pvOehovEkQsv5uyYrl9aWRS8B1H64vc-N8k9oDULLK0nQbX5MhzVboQta0QgGXWaClbfjSXGDKm51rf4cg2xYNyg9rKd3EaljfVqhCJBjUlzFK1mCOtAnJR1AQNkLrcy4-OH11oH2K~WQOf2GtJxukduaGq4BONDXwZLJTGiCPTEN7XXs4rIp3J0agJ5Ul1eRE3U8SDs361WyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Muscogee County School District Board of Education on June 23 adopted its fiscal year 2026 budget and approved a millage rate of 23.075, after a third and final public hearing on the proposed tax rate and budget.

The district’s proposal includes a 3% pay increase for employees and reflects an estimated 18% rise in budgeted health insurance costs. Kia Chambers, chair of the finance committee, read the statutorily required public‑notice language and said the proposed rate is unchanged from FY25 but 0.599 mills above the rollback rate of 22.476, which under Georgia law requires the district to announce a proposed property tax increase.

The millage vote followed public comments from residents who asked why they would see higher bills and questioned a roughly $4 million increase in budgeted expenditures. Sherry Carmack, a River Road resident, said she is a widow and worried about higher taxes; Glover Gossett, a North Columbus resident, said many homeowners lack homestead exemption and raised concerns about dipping into reserve funds to balance operations.

Superintendent Dr. Lewis and district financial staff responded that the millage rate itself remains 23.075, that the extra revenue would come from properties with increased values or new property on the tax digest and not from homestead‑exempt properties whose bills typically remain unchanged. The superintendent said approximately 60% of district funding comes from the state and 40% locally, and noted cost pressures including higher health‑care premiums and increased employer contributions to the Georgia Teacher Retirement System.

Board members moved and passed the budget as presented; the motion to approve the FY26 all‑funds budget was made by Chambers and seconded by Naomi Buckner. The millage motion was moved by Miss Butler and seconded by Vanessa Jackson; both measures passed at the June 23 meeting.

Board members asked district staff for supplemental detail after the vote, including an itemized comparison of the current salary supplement schedule and the proposed 3% adjustment and a full “all‑in” cost estimate for specific compensation scenarios requested for further consideration.

The board’s action completes the district’s legal hearing requirements under Georgia law and authorizes staff to implement the FY26 budget and payroll changes.","After a public hearing, the Muscogee County School District board approved the FY2026 budget with a 3% across‑the‑board raise and voted to keep the 2025 millage rate at 23.075, a level above the rollback rate that requires notice under Georgia law.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Muscogee County board confirms multiple administrative appointments, names Carver media center for Lindsey

District highlights behavior‑supports program, credits Chancelight partnership for keeping students local

Muscogee County board adopts FY26 budget and keeps millage at 23.075