[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5973093,"mediaKeyId","5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066","parentId",5833732,"title","Board reviews updated Internet acceptable-use rule and debates employee leave changes; GARH policy tabled for further review","audioSeconds",654,"startMs",2064000,"endMs",2718000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066&start=2064&end=2718","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066/thumbnail_2064000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5973093/Georgia/Board-reviews-updated-Internet-acceptable-use-rule-and-debates-employee-leave-changes-GARH-policy-tabled-for-further-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973093-01d942dd7231ebcb634038724a4a3b39/orig.mp4?Expires=1775383283&Signature=dgruL0GnTTtoFvoDF~3KK2ajffomzDvVFRqXJ1Rpc5Qo0TvcAdV7hX4-gOdsTi-goDb7taFjeyDD9TLrdlTXnaqbrjA87QUickICQ6NUX0jbryeB~tamkBpCnnmoyraa9YHTKIMfsVihA8CXnafi9vKOsQx6PXCxXk5QvVPCOyl-QKocZ1A7bwG-VPceUmfYUXS9QsUASfTTlC7y4jhwC0FUW86LeC06CmxbEHZ18bAMZ5zFvgtgWLGSnC8EZedGslCHROYM9TRkXmkcvsNsDx2NYQREF1NLtl-rETCcz5jRjgiHvgv4WPRMPbwrTaaBLDL2wGtfd9mG~mcdnmxvaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","School Board of Georgia ","date","2025-09-26T15:57:56.853Z","article","District staff told the Coffee County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that a state law effective July 1 requires the district to update its Internet Acceptable Use policy and submit the revised policy to the State Department of Education by Oct. 15. A staff member said the updated policy will replace the prior version in the student handbook and will address changes in technology use, including references to AI and other online tools.
Why it matters: The acceptable-use policy governs student and staff technology behavior and compliance with state reporting deadlines; failure to submit an updated policy could put the district out of compliance with the Department of Education's requirements.
Board members also engaged in an extended discussion about a proposed revision to policy GARH on employee leave. Staff described a proposed alignment with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) practice used by neighboring systems: reducing the maximum paid leave available in-district from 150 days to 60 days (or otherwise aligning the district maximum with FMLA parameters) and allowing additional unpaid leave in qualifying circumstances. Staff said many surrounding systems have capped paid leave at 60 days and that the district's existing practice allowing up to 150 days was contributing to high substitute costs and extended benefit payments when employees remain on leave without pay.
Specific items board members discussed included:
- Aligning paid leave with FMLA eligibility and a 60-day cap for paid days as the default, with the possibility of unpaid leave beyond that for qualifying events; staff emphasized that leave balances would not be forfeited but could convert to retirement-credited days if unused.
- Adding a living organ-donor leave provision (staff said a new provision must be added to allow approximately 30 days for living organ donors) and clarifying military leave language. Staff said those two changes are required to align with updates from GSBA (Georgia School Boards Association) policy templates.
- The district's sick-bank policy and interactions with the state health-benefit plan: staff said that when employees move to leave without pay, State Health allows them to keep health coverage for up to 12 months while on unpaid leave and that the employer portion of coverage can be costly; staff cited an example figure stating the district pays \"upwards $20,000 a year\" for the employer portion in some cases.
Board members urged caution about immediate implementation: one member suggested sending the proposed PDF to employees, explicitly communicating the change and considering implementation beginning in the next contract year so employees can use open enrollment to buy short-term or long-term disability coverage. Staff agreed to provide additional education and to return with cleaned-up language. The board decided to \"tag\" or table the GARH policy revision to allow time for further review and to add the living-donor and military-leave language before final adoption.
No final vote on GARH was recorded in the work session transcript; staff said the Internet Acceptable Use policy needs board approval to meet the Oct. 15 submission deadline and that item remained on the agenda for action.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CCBOE Work Session Sept 25 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District staff told the Coffee County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that an updated Internet Acceptable Use policy is required by a state law effective July 1 and must be submitted to the Department of Education by Oct. 15.","taxTitle","Coffee County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",53313,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5973099,"District reports $32.6 million ending fund equity for FY25; board hears requests to order buses and resurface facilities",505,1293000,1798000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066&start=1293&end=1798","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066/thumbnail_1293000.jpg","/articles/5973099/Georgia/District-reports-326-million-ending-fund-equity-for-FY25-board-hears-requests-to-order-buses-and-resurface-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973099-1efd8f16ccc95dc5157e050f3d34730b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775383283&Signature=aGdiSNBbyMt0wAy2dx5o7S89qhITI3~22LxGumAZyxa-jjU~UblFwRr0NIWXy-QOw26SYw4k3M8mnEN-0hjUS9SBn8BjKhpBi9tubAw-arleJvStdkRDEpaLuQKy34eTZaOROe0G4FXtey8-wV0WfUAraTtQkNnEymIYerdvUq-HnrvRQ2p-NU4OCSGBDpkUFLTic4irxOxTE2xToO76b~oBVXpLsYfLULmmQ4h2T80-ZkSentv3aJjSfubUQOgb995jD9cf0-Qb7mp3eKrGpivnq~AoPo-bzkzZ6vaRI1t2nk6DmhwqdAHaiGEnDxfkr2k5qWlOc4iSJDEcCrmRLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District finance staff presented the fiscal year 2025 closeout to the Coffee County Board of Education on Sept. 25, saying the district began FY25 with $29,653,557.59 in fund equity and ended the year with $32,625,534 after $94,454,014.57 in revenues and $91,461,028.84 in expenditures. \"This is the close out of our fiscal year '25,\" the presenter said.
Why it matters: The year-end fund equity figure indicates the district closed FY25 in surplus. Board members discussed near-term capital needs — school buses and facility resurfacing — and the fiscal and supply risks tied to ordering vehicles.
Finance staff also summarized monthly activity for the new fiscal year: July revenue of $1,708,055.24 and expenditures of $2,368,046.53; August revenue of $3,818,092.83 and expenditures of $6,251,409.71, with an August fund equity figure presented as $30,192,217.12. Staff noted the district's revenues were above budget in local, state and federal categories, and that hurricane-related expenditures were offset by related revenues.
On transportation, staff asked the board to approve ordering three gasoline buses — two 83–84 passenger buses and one special-needs bus — using state contract pricing and a combination of state funding and local \"plus\" funds to cover amounts the state will not pay. Staff cautioned about a supply-chain risk: they said some systems that ordered buses two years ago did not receive the vehicles and that in those cases the state declined to provide funds, creating a loss for the local system.
Facility requests included an RFP and recommendation to repave the transportation and maintenance parking areas to eliminate an eroded ditch that creates a safety hazard, and a planned resurfacing of the high school track. Staff said the rubberized track surfacing installed about six years ago had reached its life expectancy and that resurfacing would extend usable life by about five to six years.
Board members placed the bus purchase and maintenance projects on the consent agenda for approval unless there were objections. No formal roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript for those consent‑agenda items during the work session.
Clarifying details and transcription note: the presenter read several monthly figures aloud; one July fund-equity figure in the transcript appears to be a transcription error (an implausibly large dollar string) and was not reported here. Board staff should be consulted for the official accounting ledger if precise monthly-tracking figures are needed.
Next steps: staff said they will proceed with ordering under the state contract and with the RFP recommendations if the consent agenda moves forward at the board's next action meeting.
","At a Sept. 25 work session, staff presented the fiscal year 2025 closeout showing $32,625,534 ending fund equity, described monthly July and August activity, and asked the board to approve ordering three gasoline buses and to authorize repaving and track resurfacing RFPs and recommendations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5973105,"Eastside principal cites attendance, reading and math goals and spotlights student engagement programs",1071,107000,1178000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066&start=107&end=1178","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066/thumbnail_107000.jpg","/articles/5973105/Georgia/Eastside-principal-cites-attendance-reading-and-math-goals-and-spotlights-student-engagement-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973105-f84cbf0a827605f10ba480c84d067a12/orig.mp4?Expires=1775383283&Signature=HsjaWRESjnVNxzf3QqjNWaww5ctrnMnZ9FWLrqu3-h4y~pUKjP1VICBlo5Pi-vuKotkC6qfeWL5vPTQnnDRh30XxkH323q1n4rwwCQI~rJ2BTIztcy~g8a5i6zNeHORdPZY0xIz1vp4jpTTMJSguL5Db~LJd7ViWlPQYL6dJjw6cI1-x6X~iayU7vTdkxY~10G2D2fQzL-7OY5TPIohVA5eDc~gI~ZcEM~cY8iVM3vuWMe3BmqmDlSh9etz5vvmaXMJvlWC1lalAoiHJ2vlUW74Gnje2m8UTcvqKorpgTvMf-u6yLh7Du~-YBhJHjE7WlpVTqRWCxlTagLzB3Hk42w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Catherine Woodard, principal of Eastside Elementary, told the Coffee County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that the school enrolls 556 students and has set targets to raise literacy and math scores while reducing intervention-level placements. \"The goal is to turn data into information and information into insight,\" Woodard said, introducing the school's assessment and attendance data.
Why it matters: Woodard said many students began the year in intervention or urgent-intervention tiers; staff absences and chronic student absenteeism were presented as obstacles that affect classroom continuity and the district's use of substitutes.
Woodard said Eastside's two academic goals for the year are to increase STAAR reading proficiency by 5% in grades 1–5 and to increase STAR early-literacy proficiency by 5% in kindergarten and first grade from fall to spring. She said the school also aims to raise STAR math scores by 5% in grades 1–5 and that the STAR benchmarks are being used to compare the same student cohort from fall to spring.
Woodard presented fall STAR early-literacy and STAR reading results and said a substantial group of students currently falls into the intervention or urgent-intervention bands; those students are receiving MTSS-tier interventions ranging from classroom-based supports to small pull-out groups. \"Some of these students are super close to the next level. Some of them also could fall back if we don't push in the right direction,\" she said.
On attendance, Woodard presented last year's full-year figures and said 23 students had perfect attendance, roughly 140 students missed one to four days, and there were roughly 180 students in both the five-to-nine-day and 10-or-more-day categories. She noted the district lost approximately a month of instructional days for lane and snow events that did not count against attendance totals.
Woodard also reviewed staff attendance from the prior school year, reporting that two teachers had perfect attendance, 17 staff missed fewer than three days, 27 missed four to nine days, nine missed 10 to 15 days and 13 missed 16 or more days. She said the district recorded about 641.5 aggregate staff leave days last school year when combining sick, personal and leave-without-pay days; Woodard noted that figure excludes jury duty and approved professional learning leave.
To encourage attendance, Woodard described monthly and nine-week incentives — small monthly rewards and larger year-end trophies for students with perfect attendance — and staff pass/giveaway incentives. She said the school emphasizes morning community-building meetings, a prerecorded daily \"Eagle News\" segment hosted by nominated students, multi-hour reading and ELA blocks, differentiated flex groups, Lexia and other individualized technology, handwriting instruction by grade band and a math block with spiral review and number talks.
Woodard highlighted family engagement tools including the parent portal, ParentSquare messaging, a digital marquee, postcards mailed twice per year and in-person events. She said the school's career day in fiscal 2025 featured 82 career representatives, up from 48 the prior year.
Board members asked clarifying questions about intervention delivery and staffing coverage. Woodard said more-complete year-end assessment results will be available after spring testing and that the school will use those results to measure progress toward the 5% goals.
Looking ahead, Woodard said the school will continue targeted interventions, monitor staff and student attendance closely, and report back to the board with year-end academic outcomes.
","Principal Catherine Woodard told the Coffee County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that Eastside Elementary enrolls 556 students, has set 5% growth targets on STAAR/STAR assessments and is expanding attendance and family-engagement efforts; staff-absence rates and student intervention counts were noted as concerns.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5973088,"Board schedules executive session to discuss personnel, evaluations and school safety; raises question about on-duty weapon prohibition",0,3421000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066&start=3421&end=3421","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5833732-f3a8dcfedfe21ea0594cb1a9861fa066/thumbnail_3421000.jpg","/articles/5973088/Georgia/Board-schedules-executive-session-to-discuss-personnel-evaluations-and-school-safety-raises-question-about-on-duty-weapon-prohibition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973088-889bfe3034f5175b8d2234746c7c020d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775383283&Signature=Yz3ieYzyBY-bKBuUGUyJczV8eHkbx-7C80mpfqPrXIngUWgfAXUQFgU0O6AAwpDmF6fogcBS8vxGGrHJ6l0U1KN9ERPTOxRAXcBPC2FIP3QChrCGU300TJLgIzdgNp3YD2ArQvM21LmRcZTBmoVta62t58KdByYG9-wu2giqZ3F64xxIBPFKzB9i4YV2HvsRNkwmGMRMkvY1R3rLRchaRgya91wpb3iSrQSryOGnb0JcZO9sPur-f4ZJd9RH2rZsLMVVO3ejvpnG8dTJyecRGiM995iS0mZnImQSK5vXuNQ2VO6UuJFZkkomdR~QL3uam6JnB1fougo~oknubSO88Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Coffee County Board of Education asked for an executive session at the Sept. 25 work session to discuss personnel, hiring and employment of employees, system evaluations and school safety. The board chair asked for a motion to go into executive session \"to discuss personnel and the hiring and the employment of employees, return system evaluation, and school safety.\"
Why it matters: Executive session indicates the board will consider confidential personnel and safety matters. Separately, board members raised a policy question about the district's prohibition on carrying weapons inside school buildings and whether narrow exceptions or clarifying language are needed for staff who must be on campus after hours (for example, maintenance workers responding to late-night calls).
During the discussion a board member said the policy currently prohibits anyone from carrying a weapon inside the school. He posed a hypothetical: a maintenance worker with a concealed-carry permit who must respond to a building in the middle of the night. The member asked the group to consider whether the blanket prohibition should remain or if the policy needs clarification.
No policy change or vote was recorded in the work session transcript. The request for executive session was made and a motion to move into executive session was solicited; the transcript ends with the board requesting that motion. Any confidential actions or further discussion will occur in executive session and, if required by law, be announced in open session afterward.
","At the end of a Sept. 25 work session the Coffee County Board of Education asked for an executive session to discuss personnel matters, hiring, evaluations and school safety and discussed whether current policy prohibiting weapons inside school buildings should be clarified for night-time maintenance or off-hours work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews updated Internet acceptable-use rule and debates employee leave changes; GARH policy tabled for further review

District reports $32.6 million ending fund equity for FY25; board hears requests to order buses and resurface facilities

Eastside principal cites attendance, reading and math goals and spotlights student engagement programs

Board schedules executive session to discuss personnel, evaluations and school safety; raises question about on-duty weapon prohibition