Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

252 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 Partnerships and Community Involvement One of the strengths of Catoosa Public Schools is its robust partnership program. Marissa Brower, CEO of the district’s College and Career Academy, explains that each school in the district collaborates with businesses, community members, churches, and local organizations to support and enrich the students’ educational experience. She shares, “We have a very active mentoring program for our students that need some positive adult interaction, or maybe some extra support. Each school is very active in bringing community members in, not just the parents, but also the community members, to understand what each school needs.” Additionally, the district became a Georgia Charter System in 2016, introducing school governance teams to enhance community involvement. These teams include parents, community members, teachers, and principals. The innovative aspect of Catoosa’s charter system is the allocation of additional charter funds directly to each school. This empowers