Board of Education members approved the 2024-2025 School Year calendar at the December Dade County Board meeting. You can see the approved calendar here as it is made available. Superintendent Josh Ingle thanked everyone who helped determine the final calendar option.
Several students and staff were recognized during the meeting for the month’s Character Word – Gratitude. Other recognitions included football players who made the All Region Team, three students who attended the Youth Assembly in Atlanta – Youth Senator Emma Hartline, Youth Representative Savannah Wolf and Emma Vandergriff; and two Dade County High School (DCHS) students who attended Inspire at Camp Lookout. Also recognized were three students who placed at the state level with the Beta Club and will be attending to compete at the National Level in Savannah. Ellie Barrett is Georgia State Champion in Creative Writing, Liam Davison placed 2nd in Math, and Harper Van Dusen placed 4th in Social Studies.
Three new buses have arrived, Ingle announced, saying the buses were ordered last year and are all 83 passenger buses. Board members approved declaring two of the oldest buses as surplus and 2009 bus which is non working and too expensive to fix as surplus.
Stacy Hale, one of the creators and co-founders of HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware), spoke to the Board regarding the HUNCH program and opportunities and explained how HUNCH works with NASA allowing students to help solve real world problems. Hale spoke about the parts made in the Dade County school system which go up into space. He spoke about how the various sciences, including Family and Consumer Science, can all have a part in the HUNCH program. Hale said they want to give students the confidence to know they can follow STEM and continue in those career pathways through college and beyond. They even work with students as young as 2nd grade and the goal is to be able to start with Kindergarten and go all the way through High School introducing students to NASA and STEM.
Board members approved the purchase of fuel at $3.17 a gallon and the monthly financial report.
Board members approved the resignation of Jordan Biddle as an Aftercare Program worker and the hiring of Abby Guffey as Aftercare Program Worker; the hiring of Amanda Steele as DCHS paraprofessional; and the hiring of Summer Wallin and Chayna Turner as SNP Substitutes.