The Oconee County Board of Education has been named a finalist for Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Governance Team of the Year. Nine out of 180 systems have been named finalists for the most prestigious honor that GSBA awards school boards.

“The Board of Education is honored to have been selected as a finalist for GSBA Governance Team of the Year,” said Board Chair Tom Odom. “It has been incredibly validating to review and articulate the body of work that has resulted in the continued success of Oconee County Schools. The Board appreciates and applauds the work of our teachers, staff, parents, and administrators for their unwavering commitment to excellence.”

To be eligible for the award, school districts must have a 2018 CCRPI score of 76.6 or higher – the state average. Oconee County was ranked the #2 county system in the state based on last year’s CCRPI. Forty-nine systems in the state were eligible to apply for Governance Team of the Year and nine of those were named finalists.

“We are incredibly fortunate in Oconee County to have an excellent school board that always keeps students and teachers first,” said Superintendent Jason L. Branch. “As a GSBA Exemplary School Board since the inception of that designation, this board has provided consistent, sound leadership for a number of years. Their leadership was even noted as a Powerful Practice by our accrediting body, AdvancEd.”

The application process for Governance Team of the Year consisted of a detailed application aligned with the seven components of the Georgia Vision Project plus an additional component on communications and messaging. The application was verified by an outside consultant. Ratings of the applications were scored by a national team with expertise in school board governance.

“These nine finalists who have chosen to apply for the GSBA Governance Team of the Year have met stringent criteria and passed a thorough review,” said Valarie Wilson, GSBA Executive Director. “While only one wins, each has exemplified school district success through high functioning governance teams.”