The Board of Education heard updates from the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), awarded two awards, and approved several financial items.
Col. Fred Atkinson debriefed the board on Putnam County High School’s JROTC program, and three of his cadets spoke about their experiences within it.
Atkinson stated he is “proud of the program.”
He reported that the JROTC Raider team won the regional championship on Saturday and will be headed to state.
Atkinson also announced that JROTC will host an upcoming drill team competition at the middle school.
In addition to these announcements, he informed the board of the program’s schedule and then allowed each of the cadet leaders to speak on their personal takeaways from the program.
The platoon leader stated that leadership was their primary takeaway, both in and out of the classroom. The company commander stated that field trips and leadership were his primary takeaways. He has been in JROTC for three years and recounted the struggle to learn how to motivate and command his company during events. He also recounted a recent field trip where JROTC members visited the Holocaust museum in Atlanta and met a Holocaust survivor.
The final student was the battalion commander overseeing all four companies, the color guard commander, and a co-captain for the JROTC Raider team. He stated that JROTC has assisted him in learning leadership, teamwork, time management, and many essential skills and further inspired him to become a pilot in the United States military.
Following the presentation, Superintendent Derick Austin awarded the finance department the Certificate of Excellence from the Association of School Business Officials International and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. This is the 10th year that the finance department has been honored for its excellent financial reporting.
“I am Putnam proud,” said Finance Department Director Coretta Harris. “I was touched by this team. Our team is continuously growing, understanding what they do, assisting each other, and caring for each other personally and professionally. I appreciate this team, which is why we have an award-winning team.”.
Concluding the meeting, the board unanimously approved:
• The next five-year Charter Resolution.
• The district will apply for a One-Time Supplemental Grant from the Office of Head Start in the amount of $151,012.50 to upgrade child seat restraints on Head Start buses and purchase a mini-bus.
• Audio Enhancement to install intercom and classroom Audio infrastructure for the new elementary school through a Cooperative Purchasing Agency (Georgia) contract for $348,291.37. Austin noted that he would return over the next few months with other items that the district will pay for to avoid added fees. According to Austin, these purchases will allow a 22% cost savings for separate approvals.