Jones County Board of Education members welcomed a new principal, received policy updates and heard about a new program of interest as part of their July business meeting.
Clifton Ridge Middle School Principal Victoria Bivins was introduced as the school’s new principal at the conclusion of the board meeting. The announcement of her selection was posted on the school system’s Facebook page June 19.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the July 13 meeting to order. The chairman’s report was brief with only a statement that she still gets butterflies at the end and beginning of school years.
All board members attended the ribbon cutting for the new weight room at the high school that took place before the meeting and talked about that during their reports.
Superintendent Dr. Jessica Graves gave her report also beginning with the ribbon cutting. She thanked board members and the community for their support. Graves said Assistant Superintendent Dennis Woolfolk continues to lead in his role over Operations and Efficiency.
“It’s exciting to create an opportunity for students,” she said.
Graves said the curriculum bundle of high-quality instructional materials adopted last year in compliance with HB 1193 would be recertified and continued to be used during the coming year.
Bailey commented that she is getting great feedback from teachers that the new curriculum is improving vocabulary for students.
Graves went on to talk about the system’s continued goal of transparency, beginning with the May 11 board retreat. She said the core beliefs that came from that retreat were reviewed by the district’s guiding coalition June 17. The coalition includes all school principals and other district leaders.
The superintendent said principals were tasked with coming back with five values, which were sorted in a June 23 meeting. If the values aligned with the pillars and could be measured, they would be included.
At the conclusion of that meeting and using the results of a June 26 community survey, the mission and vision statements were changed to reflect the feedback received.
Mission: The Jones County School System creates a collaborative culture of growth that challenges every student to persevere toward academic achievement.
Vision: To graduate lifelong learners who will be enrolled, enlisted or employed as contributing members of society.
Graves said the mission and vision statements would be reviewed every time the coalition comes together.
“Our focus is on student learning. Not what we teach; what did they learn?” she said.
The superintendent said there would be common assessments across all schools and multitiered systems of support.
“This is who we are, and this is where we are going.”
Graves said all the information will be reflected in the handbook that will be available for it first read at the August meeting.
Bailey announced that the board is getting close to having a document for review in reference to the Maggie Califf building. She said it has been a long process, but they are moving forward with next steps.
Lifewise
Lynn Dugger shared information about Lifewise Academy. He said he and his wife Rachel were members of the academy’s steering committee. Dugger said the program began in the fall in Baldwin County with one class of 24 students.
“Before the end of the year, the district wanted more classes,” he said The speaker said the school is asking for 25 classes. He said there has been interest in Jones County and has spoken with the administration. He explained that Lifewise offers Bible education in public schools during school hours. He said under the framework it is legal when parents give permission and the program meets certain requirements.
“It’s community-driven and allows God to come alongside the school system,” he said.
Dugger said Lifewise works around the school schedule. He said the next steps for Jones County would be to hire a program director and organize a steering committee. He said the earliest it would be in place would be 2027.
“I believe this can be a positive influence for students and families,”
Finance report
JCSS CFO Tonya Merritt presented the financial report for the month ending June 30, which represented 100 percent of the fiscal year. The total revenues are $68,588,710 and total expenditures $68,527,817. The ending cash in the bank is $25,057,617.
The June collections for the Education Special Local Option Sales Tax was $331,189, bringing the average monthly collections to $328,508.
Merritt also presented a budget amendment to the 2026 budget in the amount of $213,370.
Action items
Graves recommended and received approval of the following contracts: Contract with Everway to purchase News2you license for Jones County K-12 special needs students for an estimated cost of $19,179.58 utilizing funds from the Special Education budget Contract with 95 percent-Group to purchase the Reading Achievement program, Phonics Online Course and RAP Virtual Training for estimated cost of $11,502 utilizing funds from Special Education budget Ratify contract with Rush Truck Centers of Georgia to purchase a 2027 IC77 passenger school bus for the JC Transportation Department under the State of Georgia Contract for an estimated cost of $167,000 utilizing funds from the Transportation budget FY 2027 contracts for the School Nutrition Program utilizing funds from the Nutrition Department budget and to increase the cost of adult meals to $3 for breakfast and $5 for lunch Board members approved the policy on Booster Organizations that was presented at the June meeting and tabled the policies of GARHB Paid Parental Leave, GARH Employee Leaves and Absences and Public Participation in Board Meetings until the August meeting.
The final action item was the approval of the 2025 - 2026 Amended budget as presented by Merritt.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. to enter closed session and was reopened at 7:33 p.m.
Graves recommended approval of the personnel items considered in the closed session. Board Member Mike Gordon made the motion, which was approved.
Graves welcomed Bivins back to Jones County and gave her the opportunity to speak.
Bivins said she was blessed to begin her 27th year in Jones County Schools.
In response to a July 14 email, Bivins said she was in Jones County for 26 years before leaving to take an assistant principal job in Putnam County.
“I am happy to return as principal of Clifton Ridge Middle School,” she said.
