[{"_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":44,"_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,"_74":73},"mediaId",6486626,"mediaKeyId","5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429","parentId",5529455,"title","Oconee Schools report expanded SRO staffing and technology-driven safety measures for 2025-26","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1104945,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429&start=1104&end=1104","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429/thumbnail_1104945.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486626/Georgia/Oconee-Schools-report-expanded-SRO-staffing-and-technology-driven-safety-measures-for-2025-26","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486626-fce40748a7c496bf22bbfdd8f774e349/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444988&Signature=X9K-WecbSU~N2ACU03O8tIgI6rIQTQyIoTkkfIxtTdhV1S3e~1XS6TU~OZHvseR4fiqyOgYWePylN5YIEjrJMxIS6RbocMmhtvXdeXUDGkhOiR0WsEDJ8h0mclAkIAWOWyr9u-kUQbdar~B82mjGprUaU~QKrRzFIxNHYF9lvsKjOV7X2iUyFJiAJVCRzOEjFG3w8B3E9uy~Zg8Fke~AvuEIZz1VRrxDzIyQ6Con0MCox0mZyv9w3~VHRJqvfoj7fjH8LVAhdlUWqbFbYWjtu8aV-akXdJgEMkpCKKXmr58~BrNDfI~8DDeY~~wSHCUdQcmsNxkYIl970n23QHmwFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","School Board of Georgia ","date","2025-08-05T01:18:06.92Z","article","Oconee County Schools officials on Aug. 4 detailed multiple safety and student-support measures the district says are in place for the 2025-26 school year, including an increase in school resource officer staffing, upgraded access controls and visitor management, and enhanced drill and alert systems.

Student Services Director Dr. Don Yancey told the board the district will begin the year with eight SROs serving its 12 schools and that the district\fs goal remains to staff an SRO at every campus. Yancey said the district continues to work with the Oconee County Sheriff\fs Office, and staff met with sheriff\fs leadership in late July to review procedures.

On technology and building access, Yancey and Operations Director Dr. David White described several measures now in use: key-card access for staff at exterior and interior doors; interior and exterior camera systems with law enforcement access; locked main-entry atriums that limit public entry after school starts; and a new visitor-management system called Checkmate integrated with Infinite Campus that scans IDs and checks visitors against the Georgia offender registry each time an ID is scanned.

Yancey also highlighted student-support staffing counts presented to the board: guidance counselors at all 12 schools (one at each elementary, two at each middle school, and four at each high school), a full-time nurse at every campus, and three school social workers districtwide (with an additional social worker position added this year by board approval).

Emergency response systems include the Syntegix Scribe Alert (crisis alert) system, which district staff said they implemented in 2019 and which provides badges for staff members to activate location-specific alerts that notify administrators and law enforcement of the badge-pusher\fs identity and location. The district also uses a Syntegix digital mapping \"safety blueprint\" to document campus assets and improve law enforcement response. Schools will run two lockdown drills, two AED drills (new this year), nine fire drills and two severe-weather drills over the school year, Yancey said; drills are conducted with the sheriff\fs office, SROs and Oconee EMA.

Why it matters: The district presented the measures as layered safety practices combining prevention, technology and partnerships with local law enforcement and first responders. District staff said the systems give rapid situational awareness to law enforcement and administrators in the event of an emergency.

What the board heard: Trustees thanked staff for the work and for arranging walkthroughs of campuses to see priorities firsthand. No policy changes or formal votes on safety programs were taken at the Aug. 4 work session; staff said some items will appear as informational or action items on the Aug. 11 regular meeting agenda.

Attribution: All descriptions in this article are drawn from the Student Services and Operations reports presented to the board on Aug. 4 by Dr. Don Yancey and Dr. David White.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Oconee County Board Of Education Work Session • August 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District officials told the board on Aug. 4 that Oconee County Schools will open the 2025-26 year with eight school resource officers, updated access controls, camera access for law enforcement, new visitor-management checks against state registries, expanded drills including AED drills, and districtwide crisis-alert badges and mapping tools.","taxTitle","Oconee County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",72822,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486631,"Testing finds no significant mold-in-air problem at Oconee County Elementary gym, district says",98,2162940,2261470,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429&start=2162&end=2261","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429/thumbnail_2162940.jpg","/articles/6486631/Georgia/Testing-finds-no-significant-mold-in-air-problem-at-Oconee-County-Elementary-gym-district-says","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486631-e5d78bff3b4826b61b6c813e41d78ab4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444988&Signature=XnXhTdcBPw7OLEXW~ElLHvCnmAxthXnW523hzwATD0QlMtbNDIeLytd6j2aFKf0uldVuxU0hrCD8DAhM736LDN5amvz-C0DRInl0ReVChRaSx8Uk2stfslkykALmO6sGlPNmXRW~BVhtw-7meGB8l5FDfZda3p6pW2xsg7ZenP02tl44Mb0E15t-bPgggGPXfHjS8mzivJOa236ntfuu7HMJfhzTRhk4YehRH9mjk74v105kpMCjaErcRkSa5iGJ0aQYd4Q2qOgjxHmHc8H4EzB2AcTBF8-f8L-vACyS3p7s8FCgoQlStXNQ5Nl1ccwJdeLmZ6Q4Lna-HQ8XCDDVSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oconee County Schools told the board on Aug. 4 that industrial-hygiene air sampling conducted at Oconee County Elementary School\fs gym and gym office did not show a significant mold-in-air problem, and the district has begun recommended cleaning and maintenance.

Operations Director Dr. David White summarized the testing results provided by GeoHydro engineers and said, \"there did not appear to be a significant mold and air problem.\" He said GeoHydro recommended cleaning surfaces in the gymnasium and gym office, routine HVAC filter replacement, and closing openings in the gym that allow exterior air entry.

White told the board the district contracted a maintenance organization to perform the cleaning recommended by GeoHydro and that operations staff are continuing to work with third parties to identify a permanent solution for openings in the gym.

Why it matters: Indoor air quality concerns and facility repairs can affect school operations, after-school activities and community confidence. The district posted the testing results on its website and briefed local media to share the findings with families.

What the district said it will do next: White said staff will maintain HVAC filters and address building openings and will seek input from the school principal as permanent solutions are evaluated.

The testing summary and the district\fs follow-up work were part of a broader operations report that also covered summer maintenance, field lighting and other facility projects planned for the coming year.","After industrial-hygiene testing, GeoHydro engineers reported no significant mold-in-air problem at Oconee County Elementary School\fs gym; district staff said cleaning and HVAC maintenance were recommended and work has begun.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486634,"Oconee school board adopts FY26 rollback millage, approves ELOST 7 referendum resolution",1526,1529258,3055990,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429&start=1529&end=3055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529455-17c97cca03e7fe40afa33224cdb99429/thumbnail_1529258.jpg","/articles/6486634/Georgia/Oconee-school-board-adopts-FY26-rollback-millage-approves-ELOST-7-referendum-resolution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486634-522b0a42ade793e4fac42a407bfc7657/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444988&Signature=djRAWxfx1Ask72y0OZDsA709mM4gl428v~lzV1EJXVbe8lhwLnZ5NJZsFxdGUY3AqsdpzGonoVFSd-A5kvXDE19tahqk1dvNWH0smC5kBYORSpIul25b9Fg1BsDlW9LR0F~LmDxJ6i-PWyC1Pbhq5FePO9pVDLCRXFSi-p339UGm~W5hQXCcsLdVaaDD7lHM27zgXOAUu55prlmsC~mv9ov2e1rkOCav6kd3QEd26tJGnNgYJSc5S7uL4y9YLQNF6vyzNdEDKJWK0MkK7n-QQOkd5waWyU0jUlkQwtjjSWfvd~PVdbyC~EXZ~Wmnm1iuWiEJdwgoMJVQ2o99pIlutA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oconee County Board of Education on Aug. 4 voted unanimously to adopt a fiscal 2026 rollback millage rate of 13.962 mills and to approve a referendum resolution to ask voters to continue the district\fs existing 1% Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST) and permit potential issuance of general obligation bonds.

The millage action and the ELOST referendum resolution were announced by Business Services Director Justin Adams and presented to the board as part of the district\fs budget and capital planning work. Adams said the recommended rollback rate of 13.962 mills reflects the final tax digest from the Oconee County Tax Commissioner and is a decrease of 0.288 mills from last year. The board voted 5-0 to adopt the rate.

The referendum resolution, also approved 5-0, would not raise the sales tax rate but would continue the current 1% ELOST that the district uses for large technology, transportation and facilities capital projects. Adams told board members staff projects sales-tax collections will reach the ELOST cap earlier than originally projected and recommended the continuation to avoid an interruption of projects.

Why it matters: ELOST is the primary funding source for major capital work in the district. Continuing the penny sales tax would allow the district to proceed with a list of proposed projects and to use the sales-tax revenue to pay a portion of principal and interest on outstanding debt if needed.

Board and staff details: Adams told the board recent sales-tax receipts have grown faster than projected, and staff used a conservative 8% growth rate to estimate totals for ELOST 7. The presentation cited a total-project estimate of about $86,000,000 in the materials shown to the board and noted a statutory cap on collections (discussed in the presentation as about $48,500,000). Adams emphasized the proposed referendum would continue the current penny rather than increase the rate.

Operations Director Dr. David White and other staff detailed the types of projects ELOST 7 would fund if approved. Proposed items listed by staff included: 1:1 Chromebox replacement for six schools; HVAC replacements at North Oconee High School and Oconee County High School; continuing the vehicle and bus replacement cycles; field lighting, turf conversions and track resurfacing at some high school stadiums; interactive panels and network upgrades for early grades; and a variety of roofing, door, and water-intrusion repairs and renovations at several elementary, middle and high school campuses.

Adams also noted the referendum language includes the ability to pay a portion of principal and interest on the Oconee County School District general obligation bond series 2021. During discussion board members and staff exchanged estimates on the planned retirement of the 2021 bonds: staff referenced a plan to contribute roughly $13,000,000 from the general fund to retire those bonds within the originally discussed 10-year window, and a board member questioned the final maturity year (there was a brief back-and-forth in the meeting about whether the final year is 2031 or 2033).

Votes at a glance: The board\fs work session recorded these formal outcomes: approval of the meeting agenda (vote recorded as passing 5-0); adoption of the FY26 millage rate at 13.962 mills (pass 5-0); approval of the ELOST 7 referendum resolution (pass 5-0); and a motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel matters (pass 5-0).","At its Aug. 4 work session the Oconee County Board of Education adopted a rollback millage rate for fiscal 2026 and approved a resolution to place a continuation of the district\fs 1% sales tax (ELOST) and issuance of general obligation bonds before voters; both passed unanimously, 5-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Oconee Schools report expanded SRO staffing and technology-driven safety measures for 2025-26

Testing finds no significant mold-in-air problem at Oconee County Elementary gym, district says

Oconee school board adopts FY26 rollback millage, approves ELOST 7 referendum resolution