Student achievement took center stage during the Jeff Davis County Board of Education’s regular meeting on Monday, August 10, as board members heard updates on Advanced Placement exam success, Georgia Milestones performance and the newly opened Jeff Davis Primary School.
Students Recognized for AP Achievement
Jeff Davis High School Principal Dr. Greer Smith recognized two students for outstanding performances on their Advanced Placement exams. Kenneth Grate earned a 4 on the AP Precalculus exam, while Vincent Ly earned the highest possible score — a 5 on the AP Calculus exam. The students were recognized during the meeting as part of the district’s Student Spotlight.
Jeff Davis Students Show Strong Performance on Georgia Milestones
The board also received an assessment update from Dr. Garrett White, Director of Student Services, highlighting results from the 2025-2026 Georgia Milestones assessments. According to information presented to the board, Jeff Davis County Schools outperformed the state average on 11 of 12 assessments for Developing Learners. The district also equaled or outperformed the state average on 10 of 12 assessments for Proficient Learners. The results add to several recent academic achievements being celebrated throughout Jeff Davis County Schools as the district begins the new school year.
New Primary School Essentially Complete
Dr. Adam Kirby provided board members with an update on the new Jeff Davis Primary School, reporting that construction is now essentially complete, with only a few minor finishing touches remaining. Parrish remains on site to oversee those remaining items and address any concerns identified by school staff. Kirby also discussed traffic flow at the new school and informed the board of a change that would be implemented the following morning as the district continued working to improve arrival procedures at JDPS.
Board Approves Policy Updates and Other Items
Several action items came before the board during the meeting, with all receiving unanimous approval.
Among those were out-of-state travel requests for the Band Director and Choices Director, along with facility-use requests from the Class of 2006/Daniel McNeal and the Chamber of Commerce. The board also approved updates to four policies that had been open for public comment since the July 13 board meeting. The district reported that no public comments were received. Those policies addressed employee leave and absences, promotion and retention, equal educational opportunities and school admissions.The board also unanimously approved the FY27 Local Board Training Plan.
Financial Reports Approved
Joshua Worth, Chief Finance Officer, presented the district’s June 2026 financial reports. Following the presentation, board members unanimously approved the financial reports as presented.
The August meeting highlighted both the work underway as Jeff Davis County Schools begins another school year and several academic accomplishments by local students — from individual success on challenging AP exams to districtwide performance on the Georgia Milestones.
