Page 4 - Coffee County Board of Education - Magazine 2023
P. 4

Our Community                                                                                                             Our Schools



        C     offee County was established on February 9,                                                                          T     he Coffee County School System is comprised of


                                                                                                                                         eight elementary schools (pre-kindergarten through
              1854 and is named for General John E. Coffee,
              a state legislator and a U. S. representative.  It
                                                                                                                                         grade five); one middle school (grades six through
        is located in Southeast Georgia with the vast majority                                  Ambrose Broxton                    eight), a ninth grade academy, one comprehensive high
        located on the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-                                                                   school (grades ten through twelve), one separate college
        Satilla River basin. It is fourteenth in size geographically                                              Nicholls         and career academy (grades nine through twelve), and one
        among the state’s 159 counties, and comprises 575.10                                         Douglas                       alternative program. The school system is governed by
        square miles. Douglas is the county seat. Ambrose,     ATLANTA                                                             a five-member board of education elected for a four-year
                                                               ATLANTA
        Broxton, and Nicholls are also located in the county                                                                       term on a non-partisan basis. The school superintendent
        along with several unincorporated communities.
                                                                                                                                   is appointed by the board and serves as the chief
                                                                                                                                   executive officer.
        The county’s population in 2023 was 43,378 and
        is composed of 57.4% White, 28.6% Black, and                                                                               The school system serves 7,438 students in Pre-K through
        13.4% Hispanic. The population includes 27.8%                                                                              grade twelve. Forty-four percent of the students are
        under 19 years old, 58.1% 20-64 years old, and   COLUMBUS                                                                  White, 29% are Black, 22% are Hispanic, and 5% percent
        14.1% 65 years or older. There are 51.8% males                                                                             other. The school system employs 1,123 including 560
        and 48.2% females.                                                                                                         K-12 classroom teachers and 563 support personnel,
                                                                                                     SAVANNAH                                                                          u   Early Literacy - Birth to 5
                                                                                                                                   including administrators, student support staff, office
                                                                                                                                   staff, and police officers. Sixty-seven percent of classroom   u  Pre-Kindergarten Program for 4 year-olds
        Coffee County is a very progressive community.                                                                             teachers hold a master’s degree or higher. The teacher   u  Early Intervention Program Grades K – 5
        For much of the county’s history, it was known                                                                             retention rate has declined from 92% in 2021 to 84% in 2023.    u  Title I Grades K – 12

        for its agricultural products - tobacco, cotton,                                                                           It is the goal of the Coffee County school system to   u  Migrant Education Program Grades Pre-K – 12
        and peanuts.  Today, agriculture still plays a                                                                             provide students with a sequential, challenging curriculum   u  English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
        role but manufacturing, distribution, material moving,                                                                     that builds on a solid foundation and develops the skills      Program Grades K – 12
                                                                                                                                   and proficiencies needed for a successful career and
        service occupations, education, healthcare, and social                                                                     productive life. The K-12 curriculum includes the Georgia   u  Special Education Program for Students with
        services are major components of the local economy and                                                                     Standards, Career Pathways, and additional state-required      Exceptionalities Pre-K – 12
        provide a majority of the employment opportunities.                                                                        curriculum. The school system provides a solid core   u  Gifted Programs Grades K – 12
                                                                                                                                   curriculum that is supported by a myriad of resources
                                                                                                                                   and programs to help each student maximize his or   u  Career Exploration Opportunities Grades 6 – 8
                                                                                                                                   her potential. Course offerings include language arts,
                                                                                                                                   mathematics, science, health/physical education, social   u  Remedial Education Program Grades 6 – 12
        The median household income is $45,636 compared to       Educational data for 2023 indicates 80.2% of persons 25           studies, fine arts, foreign language, and career, technical,   u  Honors/Advanced Placement Courses Grades 9 – 12
        $69,506 for the state of Georgia. The cost of living is more   years old or older are high school graduates and 15.8%      and agricultural education. This is accomplished through   u  Career, Technical and Agricultural Education
        than 20% lower than the national average. The largest    hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Coffee County has             the coordination of state and federal programs such as      (CTAE) Grades 9 – 12
                                                                                                                                   those listed at right.
                                                                 several licensed day care centers and two private schools.
        employers include the Coffee Correctional Facility, Coffee   Approximately 225 school-aged children are home
        Regional Medical Center, Diamond Builders Modular &      schooled. The county has two public post-secondary                The student assessment program includes the state-  u  NJROTC – Grades 9 – 12
        Cargo, Elixir Door & Metal, Elixir Extrusion, Fleetwood   institutions, South Georgia State College and Wiregrass          mandated Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG) tests for   u  Dual Enrollment at the Secondary Level with South Georgia
        Homes, Live Oak Homes, Optima Chemical, PCC              Georgia Technical College.                                        grades 3-8. Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) tests      State College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
        Airfoils, Pilgrim’s, Premium Waters, Southwire, Spectrum                                                                   are administered to grades 9-12 students in four subject   u  Technology Integration
        Distribution Center, Sunbelt, Wal-Mart Dispatch Center, and   The property tax millage rate is not significantly different in   areas. Benchmark and other formative assessments are
        Wal-Mart Distribution.                                   any of the taxing jurisdictions in Coffee County.                 administered periodically to determine students’ progress   u  Virtual Learning/Georgia E-learning Online Courses
                                                                                                                                   while pursuing their program of study.



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