CCSD Board of Education approves funds for mental health services to students and more at monthly meeting

The Clarke County Board of Education passed a motion to approve contracts for mental health services and more at their monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 15.

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Meeting action

The Clarke County School District (CCSD) received $20,000 from the Georgia Department of Education for each middle and high school last year to provide direct services to students for mental health and wellbeing. With this grant, the BOE approved contracts with local counseling agencies to provide free in-person therapy and behavioral health services to all CCSD middle and high schools.

The board also voted to reelect both Mumbi Anderson as board president and Mark Evans as vice president.

Board and public comment

District 8 board member Nicole Hull announced that she will be resigning from the board on June 30, 2026.

“I’ve enjoyed the great work of sitting in this seat, but feel like there is more to do in this great work of education reform,” Hull said.

A special election will be held in November to fill the vacant District 8 seat. The board will appoint an individual to fill the vacancy until the election occurs.

Alvin Sheats, president of the Athens branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), urged the school board to set a policy preventing law enforcement from questioning or investigating students without a parent or legal guardian present.

Presentations

The board heard a presentation on the future of the Campbell Lane building located on the West Broad Campus. Janice Weaver, a structural engineer at the Foresite Group, assessed the building to be in “reasonable condition” if it were to be utilized as a traditional K-12 school.

However, the board had planned to use the building as an extension of the Athens Community Career Academy. The Campbell Lane building was to hold career, technical and agricultural education lab classrooms. Weaver believes the building’s interior would require heavy modification to fit the conditions needed for these labs. The district is still in the process of engaging architects and community perspectives to determine how to best make use of this space.

Awards and recognition

More than 25 K-12 students were honored during the 2025-2026 MLK Art and Writing Contest, a contest in which every CCSD school can participate to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s theme was “My Dream, Our Future.” Each CCSD school submitted their art and writing nominations to district judges who determined the winners in both categories. These students will be further honored on Friday, Jan. 16 at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast on the University of Georgia’s campus.

Robby Davis, a third-grade student at Barrow Elementary School, won first place among all third-graders in Georgia in the fall nationwide Noetic Learning Math Contest.

David Diaz, a receptionist and after-school program coordinator at Burks Elementary school, won the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) “Hidden Heroes” online voting campaign. Diaz was awarded a $500 prizecheck for the award.

Genoveva Gonzalez, a student information support specialist at the CCSD district office, was awarded the January employee of the month award.

“Geno is such a shining star in our district. She is always kind, helpful and timely with her support for schools. She is extremely knowledgeable,” Principal Pam Garcia of J.J. Harris Elementary School said. “I’ve learned so much from her over my years. Congrats and keep up the amazing work!”