Staff Reports
August 27, 2018 – School board chair Phillip Beard called the meeting to order promptly at 7 p.m. at the Buford City Schools Central Office on Sawnee Avenue. He led the packed audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rita Cantrell and Chairman Beard went through the items on the agenda. Pay requests to Charles Black Construction for work done at the new Buford High School and Performing Arts Center were approved. Pay requests for the new BHS were approved to pay Breaux & Associates and Musco Sports Lighting, LLC. The PA Sound System for the new BHS was also approved. A change directive for the new BHS was approved regarding densglass at cornice, gable, and overhang. A steamer was approved to go into BHS cafeteria surplus. Seven field trip requests and one fundraiser was approved.
Each Principal stood up and gave their school update. The Elementary, Academy, and Middle Schools all report that their Curriculum nights were a success. The High School has their fall athletics in full swing. Assistant Superintendent Cantrell then approved a pay request to 1st Stop Georgia Teen Driving Academy for the summer session. It was reported that Buford City Schools has 2,750 students that depend on them to get to and from school daily.
At that time the regular meeting business was complete and Chairman Beard turned over the floor to concerned parents, students, and citizens in regards to the allegations of former Superintendent Dr. Geye Hamby using racial slurs on a tape recording. Emotions ran high as one person after another voiced frustration and hurt to the school board. At just shy of 11 p.m. the regular meeting session was adjourned and after chatting with audience members for a short period of time, the board went into an executive session where retired Buford City Schools Assistant Superintendent Joy Davis was named Interim Superintendent. The Voice was present to hear the announcement made by the board that Mrs. Davis will come out of retirement for a period of time until a new Superintendent can be found and thoroughly vetted. Mrs. Davis is familiar with the school system and was still the Assistant Superintendent during the early phases of construction on the new high school.
The next Buford Board of Education Meeting will be on Monday, September 24, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the Buford City Schools Central Office located at 2625 Sawnee Ave, Buford, GA 30518.
