The Morgan County Board of Education met Feb. 9 for its second monthly meeting and discussed several updates across the schools.
During the meeting, the majority of the staff reports section covered the middle school, including academics, sports, and safety precautions. Emma Boulware, chair and parent representative of the MCMS Governance Team, spoke to the BOE about the school’s mission and updates from the last school calendar year.
“The mission of the middle school is to foster a community of high-achieving, independent learners through engaging and challenging educational programs,” Boulware said. “The real middle school mission, what we tell the kids, is to have them be more ‘dog,’ [which stands for] ‘Dedicated, Observant, and Grateful.”
Boulware mentioned that since the last school year, the middle school has increased enrollment by 50 students, added seven new certified teachers, and two paraprofessionals. She also reported that the administration began working on a solution to “chronic” student tardiness.
“The strategy is to support the absent students, the attendance monitoring, and family outreach,” Boulware said.
“This is something we’re really proud of, just taking those chronically late students, reaching out to their family and finding out why they may be late every day, really personalizing it, and meeting them where they are.”
Boulware noted that MCMS has made efforts to address behavioral issues within the school, with a goal of reducing such conflicts by 5 percent; the current decrease is 23 percent.
In a final update, Boulware explained that Morgan County Middle School recently added a new class for each grade level titled “Middle Grounds.” She says the course was created to help students navigate challenges, as “middle school can often be a time of navigating change and confusion.”
“This class gives students the tools to better understand themselves, connect with others, and communicate with confidence,” Boulware said. “[Tasks include] publishing a school newspaper, writing responses to reflection questions, and they’re even encouraged to share and speak in front of the class; everything they learn takes place Monday through Thursday, and on Friday, it’s their ‘coffee and conversation.’”
Shortly after the Middle School updates, Assistant Superintendent Jay Homan provided a few updates within the “administrative and student services” section of the agenda. The plans for the road improvement project and construction for the new K-5 facility were among the central topics of discussion.
“We’re continuing to work with the county and the city [for the road improvement project],” Homan said. “The county or the city plans to submit a grant application to the Georgia Department of Transportation to help offset some of the cost of the proposed road improvements.”
In other news from the BOE meeting:
• The Morgan County Board of Education recognized eighth-grader Emerson Williams, who took first place in the 2026 Morgan County School District Spelling Bee.
Williams’ recent accomplishment marks his fifth consecutive year as the district spelling bee champion. The recent event marks his final appearance, as he completed his last year of eligibility.
• TheBoardapproved a recommendation to upgrade networking equipment within the school district, “covering hardware, licensing, and installation.” The project will cost approximately $144,500 and will be funded by E-rate and ESPLOST.