District News

Jefferson City Schools is proud to announce the achievement and status of the
Georgia School Boards Association’s (GSBA) 2022 Exemplary School
Board Recognition. This is the sixth consecutive year JCS has achieved
exemplary status.

JCS BOE Chairman Ronnie Hopkins, along with Superintendent Dr. Donna
McMullan and other board members, accepted the award at the 2022 Georgia
School Boards Association conference held in Atlanta last week.
The recognition program is designed to showcase best practices in school
governance and leadership. GSBA recognizes good school board governance to
foster educational community cultures in order to advance student learning
and achievement. The GSBA Board recognition program is a three-tiered
program with “exemplary” being the highest level.

The JCS BOE also was recognized with the 2022 Leading Edge Award at the
conference. This unique achievement recognizes the innovative design and
implementation of projects and programs throughout JCS that are having a
significant and positive impact on students.

“We are fortunate to have such a rich tradition of cooperation, service and
educational distinction throughout our system,” says McMullan. “Our Board of
Education is truly honored to be recognized for these awards. These
achievements are made possible by their dedication, exemplary service and high
standards for our students, staff and parents. We look forward to continuing the
legacy of educational excellence!”

JCS previously was awarded and still holds the title of Governance Team of
the Year.

The Georgia Department of Education recently released the school, district, and state level SAT scores for the Class of 2022. Jefferson High School earned a mean SAT composite score of 1102, which surpasses both state and national averages. The Jefferson City School System ranks 9th in the state based on these results. JHS has outscored the national public school average by 74 points and the state public school average by 50 points. According to the Georgia Department of Education, this is the fifth year in a row that Georgia public schools have outperformed the national SAT score average.

The Jefferson City School System is proud to announce that Jefferson Elementary School has been recognized as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. All schools, both public and private, are eligible for this prestigious award based on outstanding school performance and may only be nominated once every five years. Earlier today, Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, announced 297 schools as recipients of the National Blue Ribbon Schools award.

The Jefferson High School Air Force JROTC conducted the annual Patriots Day Ceremony earlier today. The Jefferson Fire Department, Jefferson Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Jefferson Mayor and Councilmen, among other veterans and first responders, were in attendance at the special event.

Sixteen students from JHS earned national recognition from the College Board National Recognition Programs. Having this designation identifies these students as being academically exceptional when applying for college. JCS salutes these students for their hard work and effort and applauds their achievement.

The Jefferson City FFA program was recently named a Gold Emblem Chapter by the National Chapter Award Program, which is designed to recognize FFA chapters that excel. The National FFA Organization aims "to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education."

The Georgia Department of Education has released the 2021-2022 Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG) and End of Course (EOC) assessment results. Jefferson City Schools had an average well above that of the state of Georgia on all EOG and EOC assessments, ranking as the #1 school system in the Northeast Georgia RESA district in 10 out of 19 content assessments.

We are so excited to release the 2021-2022 Annual Report. This document showcases last school year and all the amazing things that happened across our school system. Please take a moment to look through the Annual Report. 

We are excited about the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. The following information will be helpful as your family prepares for the beginning of school. Our staff members look forward to welcoming students back to school on Friday, July 29, 2022! Please read through the following Back-to-School Guide. 

Congratulations to our Head Women's Soccer Coach Molly McCarty for being named the State Coach of the Year for the small public school division by the United Soccer Coaches Association. There is no blueprint to success. She jumps right in, rolls her sleeves up, and works to make everything she touches better. Coach McCarty exemplifies the Jefferson City Schools' commitment to excellence.

The Class of 2022 commencement exercises will take place on Friday, May 20th, at Jefferson Memorial Stadium. Gates will open at 6:30 pm, and the ceremony will begin promptly at 8:00 pm. You can click here to watch the live stream. 

The Jefferson City School System is proud to announce that Ezra Crumley has been hired as the next Head Varsity Men’s Soccer Coach at Jefferson High School. Coach Crumley brings seven successful years of head coaching experience with him to Jefferson. From 2018 to 2022, Coach Crumley served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Lanier High School, where he won a Region Championship in 2021. Before his time at Lanier High School, Coach Crumley was the head coach for East Jackson High School from 2015 until 2017, where he finished as a region runner-up and led his team to a sweet 16 appearance. Please join our new Head Men’s Soccer Coach, Ezra Crumley, at a “meet and greet” on May 26, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jefferson Field House.

The Jefferson City School System is proud to announce that Kyle Hardy has been hired as the next Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Jefferson High School. This past week, Coach Hardy was approved unanimously at the May Board of Education meeting. Please join our new Head Baseball Coach, Kyle Hardy, at a “meet and greet” on May 24, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the Jefferson High School Arena lobby.

Summer sports camps will begin at the end of this month. To see the complete list of options, please click the title above. 

For the second year in a row, Jefferson High School has earned national recognition as one of the 2022 Best High Schools in a U.S. News report. Ranked 40th in the state of Georgia, Jefferson High School earned its spot in the national rankings with an overall score of 89.57 out of 100.

Join us Saturday, April 23rd, for a Spring Family Day and Art Show at the Wetlands from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Transportation will be provided from Jefferson Memorial Stadium throughout the day. Bring your rain boots, and be prepared to get your feet wet! We hope to see you there. 

Jefferson Elementary School is excited to announce that all Pre-K through 2nd-grade students will "Read with Malcolm" at the JHS Arena on Monday, April 18th. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Jefferson City School System Foundation for sponsoring this Reading Rally and providing every child with a copy of My Very Favorite Book, written by Malcolm Mitchell. Visit https://www.readwithmalcolm.com/ to learn more about Malcolm Mitchell and the Share the Magic Foundation.

Happy National Assistant Principals Week to all of our incredible APs! Your leadership brightens our schools each day, and we are so appreciative of your impact on helping students and staff reach excellence. These leaders play a dynamic role and provide a support system to our students, teachers, and principals. If one of these individuals has impacted your life, we encourage you to write them a thank you letter or reach out and let them know how they have brightened your future.

The Jefferson Elementary School Pre-K registration deadline has been extended until April 15th! JCS is excited to announce that we now have 8 fully funded Pre-K classes, all of which will continue to be housed at JES. In addition, Mrs. Beckwith has been named the Director of Early Learning. In her new role, she will be overseeing the Pre-K program and coordinating services, resources, and training opportunities for families with children ages birth to three years old. PLUS will be available to those students who need afterschool care. We would love to have you be a part of Jefferson City Schools! Registration information can be found here. 

March 14-18, 2022, is Georgia School Boards Appreciation Week. Jefferson City Schools would like to publicly thank our board of education members for their dedication to public education and continual support of our school system. Their work builds a strong collaborative community between the schools, parents, and community leaders so that students receive a quality education.

JCS interview with Jim Scott on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Marcayla Hester on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Mr. Fred Wilson on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS feature of the late Rev. Julius Mack on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Ms. Brenda Cox Smith on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Ericka Johnson on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Ms. Heather Robinson on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Ms. Annette Studivant on celebrating Black History Month. 

JCS interview with Ms. Mary Burley on celebrating Black History Month. 

The Jefferson City School System is proud to announce that Travis Noland has been hired as the next Head Varsity Football Coach at Jefferson High School. Coach Noland was approved unanimously at a called Board of Education meeting this afternoon. After seven winning seasons as the head football coach at Oconee County High School, JCS is excited to see what he will accomplish with our Dragons.

JCS interview with Ms. Ranata Pittman on celebrating Black History Month. 

Dragon Day 2022! Students in the 5th and 8th grades got to experience what it would be like at their new school next year. 8th graders were welcomed at JHS by the counseling staff and given a glimpse of what to expect as freshmen. Student leaders walked groups of students around to classrooms, and they were even able to see a short performance in the PAC.

5th graders were welcomed into the cafeteria at the middle school and enjoyed a hot lunch while they heard from the administration. Students were then led around the building by student leaders and taken in classrooms, and given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the transition to middle school. Thank you to all of the administrators and counselors who helped organize this fun-filled day for our students!

JCS interview with Mr. Brooks Benton on celebrating Black History Month.