Shanna Downs News Today

On Tuesday, the Troup County Republican Party brought together a panel to discuss some recent educational legislative changes in Georgia, specifically about literacy.

Entering the final stages of construction, Gilmer BOE toured Clear Creek Elementary (CCES) to get a "first look" before the new school year.

Facing an 80 percent chance of rain, Gilmer Schools originally moved the ceremony inside before rescheduling graduation to this Saturday.

Request for 8th Graders to march with band deniedNews May 25, 2021 , by Lonnie Adams EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – In March 2021, the latest revisions to Board Policy IDE(3) were made for Competitive Interscholastic Activities. This month, Band Director David Wiebers submitted a request to allow a waiver to the policy for the band. That waiver would allow a small number of students in the 8th grade to march with the high school band. Wiebers told the board that the waiver would help the band as it has ...

Gilmer Schools lifts masks mandate on buses Uncategorized May 23, 2021 , by Lonnie Adams EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Step by step, little by little, Gilmer County is lifting restrictions and slowly moving back to far more casual life. Leaving behind masks and other PPE, the entire nation is taking steps as people are returning to sports arenas and school events like proms and graduations are showcasing the step back to life without certain constraints. This week saw Gilmer’s Board of Education take...

Watkins announces final term in Board of EducationElection, News April 20, 2021 , by Lonnie Adams EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Referencing the recent dissension over the school’s 2021-2022 calendar, board member and current Chairman Ronald Watkins said he has caught major backlash over the issue. Watkins announced in the BOE’s public comments session this month that he will not be running again in the coming elections. Dealing with much of the frustration from the public and what he stated as “p...

Fire Department called to Gilmer High GymNews March 11, 2021 , by Lonnie Adams ELLIJAY, Ga. – Parents are receiving messages from Gilmer High School today informing them that the Fire Department had to be called to the school. Gilmer Schools Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs According to those messages, due to smoke coming from the mechanical room in the gym, school officials called the Fire Department to investigate. Immediately removing all students from the facility, they were taken to the B...

BOE adopts personnel and legislative delegatesNews March 2, 2021 , by Lonnie Adams EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – After last months approvals for administration in the schools, the Board of Education returned to finalize school personnel for the coming 2021-22 school year during the BOE meeting near the end of February. During the meeting the board individually voted for five staff members individually, each board member abstained from one vote on the five due to being a relative. After this, the board ...

With new restrictions, the Board of Education is still looking to School Governance Teams to create calendars for the 2021-22 school year.

ContactAlert™ qualifies for federal funding from the stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress in December 2020. ContactAlert™ was developed to meet the demands of K-12 educators needing solutions to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in schools. ContactAlert™ enables district leaders to protect their teachers and staff by anonymously contact tracing school constituents that may have been in contact for a defined time with individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. Data pr...