Graves reflects on start, sets goals for future
Jones County’s School Superintendent recently passed her 100th working day in the position and took a few minutes to reflect on progress made and future plans.
The interview coincidently took place May 1, which happened to hit on that 100-day mark. Dr. Jessica Graves seemed to hit the ground running after being sworn in as superintendent Dec. 1.
In her opening statements after taking the oath to serve Jones County’s children, Graves made the statement that teachers make the difference.
She said staff is split into two categories, teachers and those who support teachers.
Graves said three questions need to be asked. “What are we doing? Why are we doing it? How will we know we have done it?”
The superintendent said her servant leadership philosophy is to never ask anyone to do what she is not willing to do herself. She said over the next 100 days she would implement three practices — connect, consider and commit — to the work needed to “propel the winds” of each individual.
When Graves started her first day on the job, she was living out of a motel while her family was still in Colquitt County. Before accepting the superintendent’s job, she held the position of Director of Student Achievement for the Colquitt County School District.
One of her first actions as superintendent was to call a meeting of school system leaders. She said about 40 people attended, and they discussed goals.
Graves made mobile office hours one of her first goals, which meant having office hours on each school campus in the district before Christmas break. And she did that. Next, she started meeting with community leaders, civic organizations, law enforcement and local government officials.
The superintendent made it known she would speak with any group or organization that asked, and she has been busy.
Graves also started a weekly email video titled “Finding our Greyhound Groove” that is up to episode 20. The video features school district highlights from the week.
In a further effort to reach out to the community, the superintendent has invited the public to attend the Board of Education Retreat May 21 from 3-6 p.m. It will be held in the cafeteria of Jones County High School.
“We will be writing policy at the retreat,” she said.
Back to school
2026 literally started with a bang. January began with two arctic blast weather situations to deal with as well as a tornado that touched down after students were already on school buses.
While dealing with the day-to-day issues, Graves started looking at data, including academics, discipline and attendance.
“I realized that the number of residency affidavits was a problem,” she said. “First and foremost, we have to have a safe learning environment.”
The superintendent said the cost to local taxpayers is $6,000 per child in Jones County schools, and 17 percent of Jones County students were attending on residency affidavits. That meant more than 600 students attending Jones County schools were not residents. Graves researched the law and best practices and worked with an attorney. She discovered every school in the district operated enrollment differently.
“It was evident that enrollment needed to be centralized. I felt strongly enrollment needed to be a district role, not individual schools,” the superintendent said.
Graves brought a committee together to work out enrollment procedures and then explored school choice. Now non-residents can apply if there is adequate space. She said tuition starts at $2,500, which she noted is half of what it should be.
Nonresidents enter under a contract that includes achievement, behavior and attendance. The contract can be revoked at any time, for any reason.
“We’ve created a pathway for all families,” she said.
Graves also took a look at the central office and saw a need for restructuring. She added two assistant superintendents — Dennis Woolfolk, operations and efficiency, and Katy Richter, teaching, learning and whole child support.
Most recently she appointed Adam Gillhouse as the JCSS communications director. The superintendent said through consolidation, the central office was streamlined to allow the new positions and break even on what was being previously spent on salaries.
Graves said systems signal culture, culture influences actions and actions influence outcomes.
“If the outcome is not what we want, we start back at the beginning.”
She said academic excellence is achieved with customized learning that is based on the needs of students.
SPARK Academy is an opt-in program at both Jones County middle schools. SPARK is an acronym for Students Pursuing Academic Rigor and Knowledge and is focused on high-achieving students not in the gifted program who are not being challenged.
“Students can opt-in or out each year. We are meeting with teachers to get them training about how to raise rigor,” Graves said.
Moving forward
She said what a superintendent values is what a superintendent does. Graves said she wants educators to see her do the work with them. That is one of the reasons for the assistant superintendents, to allow her to do that.
She said central office staff members are advising each other.
“The vision is to keep each other informed. We are not in competition with each other. Some of the best ideas are in-house.”
Graves said the teacher advisory council is working with the Teacher of the Year program, and teachers are supporting teachers through the Professional Learning Council framework.
“It starts with ‘What we want to know,’ ‘How we know when we learn,’ ‘What we do when we don’t’ and ‘What we do when we do,’” she said.
The superintendent said what has been accomplished in her first 100 days is beyond her expectations.
“People have risen beyond what I dreamed. There has not been one moment that everyone has not stepped up to do what’s right for our kids,” Graves stated. “They have propelled the winds.”
