Catoosa County superintendent praises teachers, outlines funding pressures, facility projects and safety checks

Chance Nix, superintendent of Catoosa County Public Schools, told a gathering of district staff that the system will back teachers while describing program updates, rising insurance costs and funding efforts needed to pay for building repairs and services.

Nix opened by praising classroom teachers and urging staff to “use your voice,” saying the district leadership will handle political and budgetary fights so educators can focus on students. “Every child every day without exception,” he said, invoking the district’s value promise.

The superintendent and district directors highlighted student‑achievement and program results before answering staff questions. Nix cited the district’s 2024 four‑year graduation rate of 90.81% and said CCPS exceeded state averages in multiple subject areas; he also noted growth in Advanced Placement participation and college‑credit opportunities for more than 400 high‑school students.

Why it matters: the district faces immediate budget pressure from rising employee health‑insurance costs and ongoing maintenance needs that the school system plans to cover in part through E‑SPLOST, the voter‑approved education sales tax used for facilities. District leaders framed the E‑SPLOST campaign as central to paying for roofs, HVAC, school additions and other capital work while they continue to manage day‑to‑day operations from state funding.

Funding and benefits

District finance staff told attendees that state and local funding cover the bulk of school operations but rising employer health‑insurance costs are creating a multi‑million‑dollar challenge. Austin Carter, director of finance, summarized the trend as “poorly” affecting the budget and said the district must identify ways to cover higher premiums while still funding classroom positions. Nix explained that the state’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula provides the district’s main operating dollars but said QBE alone has not kept pace with rising employer costs. He urged public support for E‑SPLOST to free general funds for maintenance and operations.

E‑SPLOST and capital projects

Speaking about capital needs, district leaders described E‑SPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) as the district’s primary dedicated revenue source for construction and major repairs. Melissa Butler, assistant superintendent, and other directors said E‑SPLOST proceeds have funded recent projects including classroom additions and roofing work and that the district will run a community survey after spring break to align E‑SPLOST priorities with the strategic plan.

Water testing and school safety

Director-level staff said the district enrolled in the voluntary Clean Water for Georgia Kids testing program and has tested all student‑consumable sinks. Becky Purcell and other staff confirmed that all but one sink have cleared mitigation; the remaining sample is a kitchen kettle at Burlington Elementary and a second retest result was pending at the time of the meeting. The district said it has not used that kettle since the first high result and that mitigation steps were taken following the initial test.

The district also reviewed school‑zone light controls and advised principals to contact district facilities staff for site‑specific concerns. Some flashing school‑zone signals are controlled by the city or state rather than the district, officials said.

Instructional time and staffing

Responding to a question about early‑release Wednesdays, Melissa Butler and staff explained that the district added two half days this year to increase planning time for middle‑school teams; that change raised middle‑school non‑instructional minutes from about 275 to roughly 335 per week, bringing them closer to elementary and high‑school planning minutes. Butler described the change as data‑driven.

Transportation and health services

Directors reported that CCPS transports more than 6,000 students daily across about 350 routes with a fleet of roughly 50 buses and currently about 70% driver staffing. The district said a two‑tier route pickup system eliminated eight routes at the start of the year. Nursing staff recorded more than 42,000 school‑nurse visits in the first semester, the district said.

Accountability and audits

Finance officials noted the district earned a low‑risk audit status from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts and that independent and state audits are published online. The district also described regular monthly financial presentations to the Board of Education and an annual public review of E‑SPLOST expenditures.

Questions and next steps

Nix and district directors answered staff questions about out‑of‑zone enrollment investigations, student services, and a planned community survey to inform the next strategic plan and E‑SPLOST priorities. The district said a part‑time student‑services officer is investigating suspected out‑of‑county enrollments and that principals should report specific concerns.

The superintendent closed by reiterating support for teachers and staff, saying the district leadership will handle political and administrative challenges while educators focus on instruction. “We got this,” he said, and thanked staff for their work.

Ending

District leadership scheduled the community strategic‑plan survey to follow spring break and said it will publish audit results and financial reports on the district website. The district did not set a public date for E‑SPLOST ballot placement in the meeting comments; officials said timing and campaign materials would be shared with the community as planning continues.