Barrow County schools honor community foundation for leading recovery after Apalachee High School shooting

The Barrow County Board of Education recognized the Barrow Community Foundation on Feb. 3 for coordinating recovery efforts after the Sept. 4, 2024 shootings at Apalachee High School.

A presenter told the board the foundation "initiated the Barrow Community Crisis Fund" within hours of the shooting and that the fundraising effort "raised over $1,000,000" from donors nationwide. "All told, $585,817.20 was provided to Apalachee High School directly," the presenter said, listing expenditures such as dedicated therapists, substitute teachers, physical modifications to make the school more comfortable for students, replacement funding for extracurricular programs, two therapy dogs that attend school daily, and support for remembrance activities and staff/student curricula.

The presenter said the foundation assembled a Crisis Fund Committee—including first responders, civic leaders, mental health specialists, elected officials, faith leaders and school representatives—to vet community needs and disburse grants to local agencies and nonprofits providing recovery services. The committee completed its grant-making in November 2025, the presenter said, and the board presented the foundation with a commemorative plaque to thank its leaders and donors.

Doug Mitchell, Angela Yarmon and Stephanie Sorrells were invited to the stage as representatives of the foundation. The board speaker said the district remains "proud to provide the foundation with a commemorative plaque recognizing our appreciation of your efforts, your empathy and your leadership when all of those things were needed the most by our community."