Muscogee County Schools
Muscogee County Schools will have a two hour delay on Monday. This means whatever time the respective school normally starts will be delayed by two hours. Any changes to this will be announced by the MCSD prior to 7 a.m. All district employees are asked to report at 10 a.m. No breakfast will be served and all after school activities will continue as normal.
Harris County Schools
Updated 3/27 7:45 a.m.
The Harris County School District has cancelled classes for Monday, March 27, 2023. The district has cancelled all school operations for Monday, March 27, 2023.
Chattahoochee County Schools
Chattahoochee County Schools will have a two hour weather delay on Monday, March 27, 2023. Buses will arrive two hours later than normal at each stop, school will begin two hours later than the normal start time, CCMHS car rider students may arrive beginning at 9 a.m.. CCC car riders may arrive at 9:45 a.m.
Troup County Schools
Schools in Troup County will be closed on Monday, March 27, 2023. A release from the district says all TCSS employees should report to work tomorrow as safely as possible unless they are affected by the recent storms. If a school district employee is having issues getting to work based on the weather they should contact their supervisor.
Meriwether County Schools
Due to the threat of inclement weather and continued flooding from the storm front, all Meriwether County Schools will be closed on Monday, March 27, 2023. The storm system is expected to produce more heavy rain through midday on Monday and Meriwether County bus routes service 580 miles of dirt roads, some with low lying bridges, which become hazardous in these weather scenarios. The school system will continue to monitor this weather situation and provide further updates if required.
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School will delay the start time until 10 a.m. on Monday, March 27, 2023, due to the prediction of strong storms in the area. Teachers should report to school at 9:30 a.m.
At this time we have received no other updates of delays or closures in our area. We will continue to watch for updates from other school districts and update this page as they come in.
Information released by the Phenix City Schools shows schools across the East Alabama city will release as follows:
Central High School- 2:00 p.m.
Central Freshman Academy- 2:00 p.m.
South Girard School- 2:00 p.m.
Phenix City Intermediate School- 12:45 p.m.
Lakewood Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Lakewood Primary School- 12:45 p.m.
Meadowlane Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Phenix City Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Ridgecrest Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Sherwood Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Westview Elementary School- 1:00 p.m.
Success Academy- 12:00 p.m.
Employees of the Phenix City Schools will be released at 2:30 p.m. according to information released by the school system. In addition to the early release all after school activities have been canceled in the Phenix City Schools today.
For more information about the early release please visit the Phenix City Schools webpage or Facebook profile.
According to info released by MCSD students at schools across the district will be released two hours early on Thursday, January 12, 2023.
In addition to the early dismissal of students the district has also announced that All academic field trips are canceled and all athletic, extracurricular, and after-school activities are canceled.
An approaching weather system is bringing a brief risk of strong to severe storms to the area later today. Several area school districts have announced early dismissal of students ahead of the system.
In the Heights will open on Friday, October 21, 2022 and run through Sunday, October 23, 2022 at the Central High School Auditorium located at 2400 Dobbs Drive in Phenix City. Shows on October 21 and October 22 will be at 7 p.m. and the October 23 show will be at 3 p.m.
The musical is directed by Ms. Ginger Dempsey, Fine Arts Department Chair, Dempsey will also perform in the show as Abuela. The show is open to the public and tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.
The leading cast of the performance includes;
Deone Collins- Usnavi
Nairobi Maurice- Nina
Jeremy Battle- Benny
Mayah Atchison- Vanessa
Averianna Pittman- Daniella
Caleb Denard- Sonny
Caylee Jones- Carla
Derrick Peters- Kevin
Louisa Oduro- Camilla
Amir Muhammad Brown- Graffiti Pete
Savannah Dollar- Piragua Seller
Ms. Ginger Dempsey- Abuela Claudia
“The Phenix City Board of Education is excited to announce that Dr. Darrell Seldon has been named as the interim superintendent of Phenix City Schools effective July 1, 2022. Dr. Seldon currently serves as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction and is the district's federal programs director. Dr. Seldon joined Phenix City Schools in 2009 and has held numerous leadership positions. We are pleased to have someone as qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable of our school system to assume this role as we begin our search for a new superintendent,” said Yoluanda Daniel, board chair.
Dr. Seldon said, “I am truly honored to have this opportunity to lead Phenix City Schools as the Interim Superintendent. I have over 29 years of experience as an educator and leader in various administrative roles. Randy Wilkes has done a phenomenal job in his leadership role over the past eight years. We will continue building upon that foundation to ensure every child is prepared for post-secondary education or the workforce upon graduation.”
Dr. Seldon is a native of Columbus, Georgia, and has 29 years of instructional and leadership experience. He has been a part of PCS for 13 years. In 2019, Dr. Seldon began his role as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction and system test coordinator. He served in a variety of leadership roles in PCS, as the assistant principal at Central High School, the principal of Westview Elementary School, director of transportation, director of curriculum for kindergarten through seventh grade, and director of curriculum for eighth through 12th grade. He has also served as the federal programs director and textbook adoption coordinator.
Before his time in PCS, Dr. Seldon was assistant principal of Wacoochee Junior High and assistant principal for Smiths Station Intermediate School. He began his career in education as a math teacher for Russell County Schools and then Lee County Schools. Dr. Seldon has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with teacher certification from Alabama State University, a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University, and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Valdosta State University. In 2016, he attended Alabama's Superintendent Academy.
This decision comes after the board mutually agreed to release Superintendent Randy Wilkes from his contract. Dr. Seldon and Wilkes have worked together closely in Wilkes’ eight-year tenure. The board will develop a process to select the next superintendent and will be actively engaged in identifying and pursuing qualified candidates to lead the system to the next levels of success.
These partnerships create additional learning opportunities for students interested in getting a headstart on earning college credits and seeking more challenging academic experiences. Some of these options are also open to Central Freshman Academy. Along with the new dual enrollment courses, students can enroll in new Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Central High School now offers 12 AP courses, such as AP World History, AP Environmental Science, and AP Macroeconomics. Teachers new to teaching AP courses will be AP-trained and receive three Continuing Education Units (CEU) or 30 hours of professional learning credits.
These new courses and learning avenues to Central High School’s curriculum joins a long list of classes and extracurricular activities. Central High School currently offers 14 Career and Technical Education classes in its CTE Academy and over 40 clubs and organizations.
“Phenix City Schools strives to offer all opportunities possible to help all Red Devils be successful in their chosen paths after high school,” said Rachel Peters, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction. “Allowing for more dual enrollment partnerships and AP course offerings accomplishes just that for our college-bound students. Coupled with our Career and Technical Education opportunities, we now we have a variety of options that can meet the needs of every student, even those with limiting financial circumstances,” she continued.
“Each student deserves every opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience. Our high school programs prepare students for college, technical and trade schools, and the workforce. Strengthening our dual enrollment and AP programs directly serves our students who are actively seeking early advancement in their college studies,” said Superintendent, Randy Wilkes.
The Muscogee County School District will host a job fair on Thursday, June 9, 2022 between 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Public Education Center located at 2960 Macon Road in Columbus.
The district is looking to fill several positions in areas to include transportation, food service, administrative staff, custodial, maintenance, teachers, paraprofessionals and much more. There will be on the spot interviews for some positions as well as application assistance.
For more information please visit the Muscogee County School District website or check out the school district page on Facebook.
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The Muscogee County School District will host a job fair on Thursday, June 9, 2022. |
During the Tuesday, May 12, 2022 Phenix City Schools May meeting a group of students from Ridgecrest Elementary School attended the board meeting. The students who are members of the first archery team in the Phenix City Schools led the Pledge of Allegiance to start the meeting. The students then got to strut their stuff for members of the board and community members in attendance.
"Their enthusiasm for the sport is unmatched. Coach K does a phenomenal job leading and encouraging them. We were thrilled to have them in attendance on Tuesday. I enjoyed watching them show off their skills and knowledge about archery and how STEM helps them improve their shots," said Superintendent Randy Wilkes.
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Students with the Ridgecrest Royal Archery Club had no problem showing off their skills. Photo Courtesy of Phenix City Schools |
The Ridgecrest Royal Archery Club consists of 10 members and is based at Ridgecrest Elementary School in Phenix City.
To learn more about extracurricular activities at Ridgecrest Elementary and other Phenix City Schools you can visit pcboe.net or checkout the Phenix City Schools Facebook Page.
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Side by side students with the Ridgecrest Royal Archey Club take center stage during the May 2022 Phenix City School Board meeting. Photo Courtesy of the Phenix City Schools |
The five member Committee chaired by Sen Senator Sheikh Rahman from District 5 included Columbus’ Senator Ed Harbison. The legislators heard testimony from 18 varied outdoor learning experts, organizations, advocates and teachers.
The 2021 final report recorded remarks from Senator Harbison, who discussed the MLK Outdoor Learning Trail, located in Columbus, Georgia, and described its location and learning stations. He believes the Trail is a tremendous learning opportunity for children.
The outdoor classroom opportunities of the eleven site Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Learning Trail have expanded to include the George Washington Carver Victory Gardens & Farm. The Gardens & Farm are a children and youth focused partnership that offers Muscogee County School District youth an outdoor multifaceted learning environment and entrepreneurship training.
The Committee’s recommendation’s preamble stated “the Committee determined that engagement with the outdoors has an extremely positive effect when implemented both in a school and an extra- curricular setting. After substantial discussion and review, the Committee finds a need to emphasize outdoor learning opportunities and generally increase access to the outdoors for both children and young adults.”
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The MLK Learning Trail in Columbus. |
The committee’s seven recommendations included , “The Committee encourages the inclusion of an ongoing program similar to “The Martin Luther King Jr. Outdoor Learning Trail,” in Columbus, in student’s curriculum statewide. The trail provides students to have the opportunity to engage in nature, civics, and gardening as a result.”
During the meeting other recommendations were covered to include; Advocating for a state level “Office of the Outdoors to optimize outdoor learning, engagement, and recreation efforts across state government departments and with non-state partners, Encouraging funding or other support to ensure that each Georgia child participates in regular, meaningful outdoor learning experience and promoting the creation of a grant program available to both schools and non-profit providers of outdoor learning and environmental education.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Learning Trail is part of Columbus' DragonFly Trails network. The trails consist of plans for more than 60 miles of off road trails and paths across the city of Columbus that include areas such as the Columbus Riverwalk. The MLK trail spans 2.2 miles along Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd between 10th Avenue and Macon Road The trail opened in early 2021.
The Georgia State Senate adopted a resolution to create the Outdoor Learning Study Committee in 2021. The committee holds the responsibility to look at issues and needs associated with outdoor learning and issues recommendations. The committee also works with state experts such as those from the state universities and state departments. The committee is made up of Senator Sheikh Rahman, Senator Jennifer Jordan, Senator Burt Jones, Senator Ed Harbison, and Senator Sally Harrell.
Story Courtesy of TurnAroundColumbus
Data released by MCSD on Friday, September 3, 2021 shows that there are currently 146 in-person positive cases within the Muscogee County School District. In addition there are 971 students in self-quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19.
The numbers in both areas are down compared to number released on Friday, August 27, 2021. For the week that ended on August 27 there were 174 in-person cases in Muscogee County Schools and 1,197 students on quarantine or isolation.
The data shows that school based employees reported 20 positive cases and 30 school based employees on self-quarantine or isolation. Those numbers too were down over the past week. The previous week showed 27 school based positive cases and 48 employees on quarantine.
Muscogee County Schools have not shown a significant number of cases in any of their reports since the academic year began. As week three wraps up the district did report a decline in a overall cases and quarantine numbers.
The Lee County Schools announced through its website that West Smiths Station Elementary School will transition to virtual learning beginning on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Plans are in place to resume classes on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
In addition to the cancellation of in-person classes for students extracurricular activities have also been cancelled until Friday, September 10, 2021.
In a notice on its website the Lee County Schools says:
Lessons will be provided via Google Classroom. Teachers will upload assignments to their Google Classrooms, meet with students via Zoom, and hold daily office hours. During these office hours, teachers will be available to zoom in with students to answer questions about the content. There is still a great deal of instruction we need to provide to our students, so it is IMPERATIVE that they continue to work hard, attend the Zoom scheduled sessions, turn in assignments, and ask for help from their teachers. Teachers will provide a schedule in Google Classroom. Students will be instructed to take all their belongings with them when they leave school today, Monday, August 30th. Also, the lunchroom will be serving meals from the car rider line of the school, if students will be needing a meal. Please drive through the car rider line loop between 11:00 – 12:00 CST to pick up breakfast and lunch. The student must be in the car to receive their meal. Zooms will not be scheduled during the lunch hour.
West Smiths Station Elementary School becomes the fourth Lee County School to transition from in-person learning in recent weeks. Smiths Station High School, Beulah Elementary School and Wacoochee Elementary School have all transitioned to virtual learning in recent weeks.
Data released on Friday, August 27, shows the Muscogee County School District reported 174 confirmed COVID-19 cases for students who are enrolled in in-person learning. That number is up by 10 from the previous week when the district reported 164 positive cases.
The district also released the number of students that are presently in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19. MCSD reports 1.197 in-person students are in isolation or quarantine. The previous week MCSD reported there were 1,307 in-person students in quarantine. The number dropped by 110 students over the past week.
Faculty has not been immune from COVID-19 infection. MCSD reports there are 27 school based employees that are positive for COVID-19. The district has 48 school based employees that are in quarantine or isolation during the week of August 23 to August 27. The previous week there were 32 positive cases and 40 isolations for school based employees.
The Muscogee County School District releases its COVID-19 data weekly on Friday's.
Related Media:
Weekly MCSD COVID Data for week ending August 20, 2021.
The latest data does show an slight increase in some numbers of data released on August 13, 2021, following the first week of in-person classes for the 2021-2022 school year.
According to the latest data the Muscogee County School District has a total of 30,375 enrolled students, which is up from 30,122 in the previous weeks data. Within the enrolled students data shows there 164 in-person positive cases. The August 13 data reported 65 positive cases. MCSD reports there a currently 1,307 in-person students in self quarantine or isolation-cases. The previous weeks data showed there were 551 cases.
Data released also shows the number of employees who have been impacted by COVID-19. MCSD reports there are a total of 5,175 employees within the district. That number includes 4,233 school based employees. The latest data shows there are 32 employees of MCSD who have positive cases of COVID-19. In addition, there are 40 school-based employees that are in self quarantine or isolation.
The data released by MCSD relates to cases between the dates of August 16- August 20, 2021. The Muscogee County School District releases the information in an effort to remain transparent. The district maintains a COVID-19 website, which can be viewed here.
In-person classes remain in place in Muscogee County. Several districts or individual schools across the state have announced plans to return to virtual learning or temporary virtual learning over the past week as COVID-19 cases have spiked in some districts. The Muscogee County School District should release its updated COVID-19 data for the upcoming week on Friday, August 27, 2021.
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As the board came onto the action items on their agenda the first they looked at was a recommendation for renovations at Veterans Memorial Middle School. Board members were asked to award a contract in the amount of $635,532.00 to Ben B. Gordy Construction, Inc. for security and band room expansions at Veterans Memorial Middle School.
Providing background on the project board members were advised that three bids were received on the project on Wednesday, July 31, 2021 for a list of projects that included; renovations, safety and security upgrades and a band room expansion. Board members learned that of the three bids received the low bid came from Ben B. Gordy Construction, Inc. in the amount of $635,532.00. The amount was within the budgeted amount for the project.
A motion was made by Board Member Cathy J. Williams of District 7 and seconded by the Mark Cantrell, District 6. Board members voted in favor of awarding the contract to Ben B. Gordy Construction for the renovations and upgrades at Veterans Memorial Middle School. The funding for the project will come from the 2020 SPLOST according to meeting records.
Moving on the school board tackled another action item, which consisted of three proposed weight room expansions at three Muscogee County High Schools. The board sought to approve a contact with Thayer-Bray Construction, LLC., to award a contact for $1,070,000 for expansions of weight rooms at Carver, Columbus, and Northside High Schools in Columbus.
Board members learned that four construction companies had sought interest and picked up plans for the project, but only two bids were received by the Thursday, July 22, 2021 deadline. The low bid belong to Thayer-Bray Construction, LLC. in the amount of $1,070,000.00.
The bid did exceed the original budgeted amount of $990,000, that was approved by the board on December 14, 2020. The board was asked to approve the contract with a revised budged for the weight room expansion. A motion was made by board member Cathy Williams and seconded by At-Large Board Member Kia Chambers. The remaining members of the board voted in favor of the approval of the award. The funding for the project will come from the 2015 ESPLOST and 2020 ESPLOST.
A final project discussed by the board during the Monday meeting was concerned a parking lot project at Jordan High School in Columbus. Board members were asked to award a contract to Warr Grading Inc., in the amount of $191,533 for a handicap accessible parking lot at Jordan High School.
There were five companies that expressed interest in the plans, but Warr Grading was the only company to submit bids by the Tuesday, July 20, 2021 deadline. The School Board had budgeted the item in their February 16, 2021 meeting for an amount of $124,000.00. Warr's solo bid exceeded that amount and would require approval of the board to move forward with awarding the contract.
A motion to approve awarding the contract was made by Board Member Mark Cantrell and received a second by Philip T Schley, District 8. Members of the school board followed by voting in favor of awarding the contract for $191,533 to Warr Grading. The project will include creating handicap accessible parking and a sidewalk to serve the baseball field near the intersection of Howard Avenue and 35th Street. Funding will for the project will come from the Capital Fund.
During the 10 a.m. ceremony members of the Phenix City Board of Education were joined by alumni of South Girard School and elected officials of the City of Phenix City as honor was paid to Dr. James Patrick.
Dr. Patrick was described as a living legend by those in attendance. The 81-year-old was a key player on South Girard's basketball team during the 1965-1966 season when the then high school won a state title.
Phenix City Superintendent Randy Wilkes mentioned during the ceremony that the move to name the gym in honor of Dr. Patrick began in March and has taken six months to get to this point.
Dr. Patrick was a team leader on the South Girard team which won the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AA state title for Black Schools. During the time the championship was won South Girard served as the high school for African Americans in Phenix City. The team finished the season with a record of 49-4.
Dr. Patrick was inducted into the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. He has held numerous coaching positions over his career including serving as head basketball coach at Fort Valley State University and serving as an assistant coach at Columbus College, which is now Columbus State University.
The Phenix City Schools livestreamed the ceremony on their Facebook page as the new gym was dedicated in honor of Dr. James Patrick.
In a release on Monday, the Russell County School District announced that its goal is to ensure the safety of faculty, staff and students. The district continues as it notes that recent CDC updates show and upward trend of COVID-19 cases.
Following the data that has been presented effective Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the Russell County School District will require all persons to include; teachers, students, staff, and visitors that enter an educational facility to wear face coverings. The district says that face coverings will be required inside of locations such as classrooms, common areas, hallways and buses, among others. The masks and face coverings will not be required outside according to the district release.
Russell County becomes the latest local school district to announce that face coverings would be required for students. Students in Muscogee County Schools as well as nearby Phenix City Schools are also required to wear face coverings following recent announcements by those districts.
Like many other districts requiring masks the Russell County School District says they will continue to monitor recommendations of the CDC and local COVID-19 data. The district mentions that hopefully, COVID-19 cases will begin to decrease so that masks can once again become optional.
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The Russell County School District issued the following release on Monday. |
Participating counties and cities across the state will not charge sales tax on several school related items this weekend. The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021 and rolls through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2021.
Not all communities in the State of Alabama will be participating in the holiday. Among some of the local ones reported to participate by the Alabama Department of Revenue include; Auburn, Barbour County, Bullock County, Chambers County, Eufaula, Hurtsboro, LaFayette, Lanett, Lee County, Opelika, Phenix City, Russell County, Smiths Station, Tuskegee, Union Springs and Valley. A complete list of municipalities participating can be found by clicking this link.
The holiday will allow the exemption of sales tax on several items a list of exempt items can be found below.
Last week the Board of Regents announced that tuition rates will not increase at the 26 public institutions across the state for the upcoming academic year. The vote marks the second straight year the Board has voted not to increase tuition rates at the states institutions. The vote is also the fourth vote of no increase in the past six years by the Board of Regents.
“USG over the past several years has remained committed to making public higher education as affordable as possible for students and their families, while maintaining results that rank our campuses among some of the best in the nation,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “We are grateful for the support of the Board and state leaders toward this priority, and recognize students’ hard work especially over the past year to maintain success toward graduating and entering Georgia’s workforce with college degrees.”
Additionally, the Board voted to approve a recommendation of no increases to any mandatory fees for the 2021-2022 academic year.
With the Board’s action, the University System has limited tuition increases among its institutions to an average 0.75% annually since 2016, well below the rate of inflation. USG now also has the third lowest median in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at four-year institutions among the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
“It is more important than ever for the Board of Regents to remove barriers that may stand in the way of students’ success.” Chairman Sachin Shailendra said. “That work must include keeping the cost of our colleges and universities affordable, so that students and their families can successfully get their degrees, improve their quality of life and help increase Georgia’s economic competitiveness.”
The average tuition rates for universities in the state can be found here.
Related Media
Board or Regents votes to keep university tuition stable for 2018 (May 9, 2018)
Board of Regents votes to increase tuition at Georgia Public Universities (April 16, 2019)
In a release, the Muscogee County School District announced that the district has remained in consultation with its panel of local medical professionals and public health agencies. The consultations have allowed district officials to continue to monitor the community status of COVID-19 and its impact on the Columbus community.
Following the recommendations of those health officials and operational needs the district has adjusted its return to classrooms on a phased approach.
MCSD announced the first phase will take place January 19-22, 2021. In Phase one students in grades Pre-K through five and special education students will be offered a choice model for return. Students in grades 6-12 will remain on virtual instruction for this period.
In Phase two which will take place on January 25, 2021, all students in grades between Pre-K through 12 will be offered a choice model for return to the classroom or remaining on virtual learning.
"Our foremost goal is to balance the educational needs of our students with the safety and well-being of our students and employees during this time. We appreciate your patience as we look forward to welcoming your students back under the choice model as soon as possible," said Dr. David Lewis, Superintendent of the Muscogee County School District in a released statement on Thursday.
MEAL PLANS
The changes in how students will learn will also impact meals for students. The Muscogee County School District released its student meal plan in relation to the phased opening as well on Thursday.
In phase one in-person students will be able to receive their meal at their assigned school site. Students on virtual learning can pick up their meals curbside daily at any school site between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
In phase two in-person students will also be able to receive their meal at the assigned school site. Students on virtual learning will be able to pick up their meal curbside daily between 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. at any school site.
Over the Christmas break, Muscogee County School officials announced January 6 through 15, 2021, the district would shift to virtual learning for all students. In the statement plans called for the district to shift back to a choice model on January 19, 2021. Similarly MCSD announced that beginning on December 18, 2020, Columbus High School was transitioning to virtual learning based on an increase in COVID-19 exposure and two or more linked cases to CHS.
Dr. Monica Frazier, interim Director of CSU's Biology Department was named to the 2020 list of "1000 Inspiring Black Scientist" by the Community of Scholars.
In a release published by CSU on Thursday, Dr. Frazier said, "“I am very honored to be included in this publication. It wasn’t until college that I started to see people of color conducting scientific research and pursuing careers in STEM,” Frazier continues, “It is my sincere hope that this publication convinces thousands of students of color from kindergarten and beyond that a career in STEM is attainable and that we, STEM professionals of color, do indeed exist!”
In addition to her duties with CSU's Biology Department, Dr. Frazier also serves as the Director of the Southwest Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. An organization with a mission to increase the number of qualified underrepresented minorities receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in STEM and entering the workforce.
Dr. Deborah Bordelon, provost and vice president called Dr. Frazier a scientist, educator, leader and mentor. Dr. Bordelon continued as she expressed the strong commitment to making sure underrepresented students see themselves succeeding in STEM related fields due to the efforts of Dr. Frazier.
According to CSU, Dr. Frazier focuses her ongoing research on identifying chemotherapeutic agents against cancer.
Dr. Frazier is an alumni of Alabama State University where she earned a bachelor of science in chemistry. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in virology. Dr. Frazier continued her postdoctoral studies as she completed work at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
For more information on the 1000 Inspiring Black Scientist you can visit This Link.
According to a release from the Muscogee County School District, under the advisement of the Department of Public Health, the district has enacted a closure for Columbus High School, effective December 18-22, 2020. The closure follows a recent increase in exposures and two or more linked positive COVID-19 cases at this location.
Students at Columbus High School will follow the virtual instruction model December 18-22, 2020 and return to the district schedule for instruction, on January 6, 2021. Each student can receive meals, according to the virtual meal pick up plan, at the location of his/her choice.
The school district also announced that during the closure period the locations athletic and extracurricular activities have been postponed. he District will continue to prioritize the safety for all students and employees in coordination with public health agencies to monitor all active cases and data related to COVID-19.
Jeremiah's Italian Ice, located at 1002 Bay Avenue in the Banks Food Hall in Columbus, opened its doors just a few short months ago. The location became the first location for Jeremiah's Italian Ice to open in the State of Georgia.
On November 17, the store announced it is excited to giveback to the local community with its "S'Cool Givebacks" campaign. The campaign will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, and according to a release, Jeremiah's Italian Ice will donate 20 percent of its sales today to the Muscogee County School District.
The Columbus location of Jeremiah's Italian Ice is located in the Banks Food Hall at 1002 Bay Avenue, Columbus, GA. Today's hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information you can call (706)449-0040.
Muscogee County's graduation rate has increased to 89.4 percent, an increase of 3.3 points, year-over-year, from 86.1 percent. This marks the highest graduation rate for the District since the four-year cohort rate has been calculated. The Cohort Rate is calculated using the data from students who graduate from high school within four years as required by the U.S. Department of Education. It is also one of the indicators used in the calculation of the College and Career Ready Performance Index. The state rate is 83.4 percent in 2020.
“We applaud our schools, District support teams, parents, and students for their hard work and dedication that contributed to the steady increase of our graduation rates leading to this year’s historic high rate. This improvement is attributed to more intentional identification of students as early as middle school who are not on track to graduate on time. We then provide them with additional support, resources, and encouragement toward attaining this important educational milestone,” said Dr. David Lewis, Superintendent of Education, Muscogee County School District in a media release.
While the news district-wide is a win for Muscogee County students, parents and staff, cohort levels also showed independent gains at several schools in the district. Carver, Jordan, and Shaw all earned their highest cohort level to date. Carver, Columbus, Northside, Rainey-McCullers, and Shaw all recorded graduation rates above 90 percent. Seven Muscogee County high schools had levels above the state average. Those schools included: Carver, Columbus, Hardaway, Kendrick, Northside, Rainey-McCullers and Shaw. Seven schools maintained or saw an increase in their cohort graduation rate: which included Carver, Columbus, Hardaway, Jordan, Kendrick, Shaw, and Spencer. Rainey-McCullers saw a 100 percent graduation rate for its first graduating class.
“We are encouraged and energized by these results and remain committed to our ultimate goal to ensure 100 percent of our students achieve full-option graduation. Whether it is further study at a four-year or two-year institution, training, the workforce, or military service, we want our students to be equipped for their choice,” said Dr. Lewis.
The follow cohort rates were recorded for Muscogee County high schools for 2020:
Columbus- 100 percent
Hardaway- 89.6 percent
Jordan- 81.1 percent
Kendrick- 85.4 percent
Northside- 93.5 percent
Rainey-McCullers- 100 percent
Shaw- 91.4 percent
Spencer- 83.0 percent
The grant in the amount of $15,000 will be matched by Columbus State University and be used to support CSU's Men About Change Program. The program which has about 50 participants according to CSU provides those involved with the program opportunities to enrich their academic skills, receive support, engage in adult and peer mentoring, and develop leadership skills.
In the past, CSU has announced the program has included initiatives such as cultural education trips, a career conversation week with guest speakers in attendance representing various career fields, an educational session on how to tie a bow tie and a special barbershop talk series that provided haircuts and dialogue to participants.
CSU has announced a virtual welcome celebration will be held on August 19, for first-year students that are interested in the program.
Kemp spoke at a public event at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Monday, where the Governor announced that he would not sign an order requiring persons at public schools in Georgia to wear a mask for face covering.
Kemp's announcement comes just days after a viral photo surfaced at North Paulding High School that showed large crowds of students walking the school's hallways, many not wearing face coverings. Since the photo was published and went viral globally, the school has shifted to online instruction after several students and faculty members tested positive for COVID-19.
As Kemp made the announcement he noted that he would leave the decision up to local superintendents because he believes things can be observed better on a local level and give the power to local superintendents to make the best decision for their local districts.
Governor Kemp has continued on the track to not encourage mask-wearing during the pandemic. Just weeks ago Kemp sued the City of Atlanta after Mayor Bottoms issued a mask requirement in Georgia's largest city. Kemp challenged the order by the city stating that the Mayor exceeded her power with the rule. The case was referred to mediation.
Locally students in Muscogee County will not be impacted by the mask mandate for the time being. Classes will begin in Muscogee County virtually for students as administrators watch the virus's impacts locally before resuming in-person classroom instruction. During the districts reopening plan, administrators announced that students would be required to wear masks in Muscogee County Schools.
As of Monday evening, Georgia reports 219,025 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the virus was first discovered in Georgia. Locally Muscogee County has seen 4,780 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 864 new cases being reported in the past two weeks.