Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Butts County superintendent reports attendance gains and mixed academic results
Summary
Brett Lowe, superintendent of Butts County Schools, said the district saw year‑over‑year gains in student attendance and NWEA MAP growth at most schools, while achievement and AP results were mixed, with one middle‑school grade dragging down Henderson Middle’s scores.
Brett Lowe, superintendent of Butts County Schools, used a brief “fireside chat” to report that the district made measurable gains in student attendance last school year and that most schools showed growth on the NWEA MAP benchmark, though some achievement declines and lower AP participation affected certain results.
Lowe said the district’s litmus test for attendance is students who miss 10% or fewer school days (attend 90% or more). "So 82% of our kids were there 90% of the time or more," he said when summarizing Daughtry Elementary’s result; he reported similar increases at Jackson Elementary (to 82%), Stark Elementary (to 85%), Henderson Middle (to 82%) and Jackson High (to 74%). Lowe congratulated staff for the increases and said the district will continue to press on attendance protocols and family engagement.
On academics, Lowe described the NWEA MAP as a nationally normed benchmark used to track growth during the school year. Comparing 2023 to 2024, he said the share of students scoring above the 60th national percentile increased at Dauphier Elementary (+3%), Jackson Elementary (+4%), Stark Elementary (+2%) and Henderson Middle (+5%), which he framed as evidence of in‑year growth.
When Lowe reviewed achievement (students performing above the 60th percentile), he noted mixed results: Daughtry saw a 2% increase, Jackson 5% and Stark 6%, but Henderson Middle posted a 1% decrease. He said that decline was driven largely by one grade level and that district staff are investigating root causes and reviewing instructional standards.
Lowe also highlighted Advanced Placement outcomes. He said the number of students earning a 3 or higher on the U.S. government AP exam rose from one in 2023 to six in 2024; U.S. history rose from one to four. English Literature saw five fewer students score 3 or higher, but Lowe said testing participation also fell in that course. "Our mean score was a 3.33, which compared to the state of a 3.23," he said, and added that roughly 83.3% of the district’s AP test‑takers scored 3 or higher versus the state’s reported 75.8%.
Lowe closed by listing district initiatives — including a GOSA Growing Readers grant and Leader in Me programming — and said he hopes to hold these chats about twice a month to keep the public informed. "That's kind of my goal here," he said, concluding the update.
The superintendent did not present formal motions or votes in this session; he framed the presentation as an informational update and said staff will pursue follow‑up analysis where declines were identified.
