Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

266 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 business partners available for internships. “We are also turning our focus this year on identifying high skill, high wage, high demand careers,” Bosch explains. “There has been a push to try to make sure that we are preparing students to go into those fields that are harder to fill.” These efforts include organizing career fairs, such as healthcare, to expose students to a wide range of career options, with the goal of better equipping students for the future job market while also fostering partnerships with local industries. Safety as a Top Priority Recently, the Columbia County Schools District has made significant investments in safety and security measures. “Really, the last couple of years it’s been an all out focus,” Flynt asserts. “I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that any of us are not focused on safety and security.” These efforts include the establishment of a dedicated police department, with at least one officer assigned to each school, along with two officers in high schools. “All of our officers are P.O.S.T. certified, and we are going through the GA certification at this time. Human resources is a big part of the work,” he elaborates. The district has also implemented advanced security access technology, such as enhanced camera systems, intercoms, and secured access to all school doors. Secure vestibules are being constructed at every school, providing controlled access points. Facilities and Operational Excellence The Columbia County School District understands the importance of quality facilities for effective learning, as Flynt reports, “We heard very clearly from the community, that they wanted us to continue the development of additional classrooms, to house our students, but also to upgrade existing facilities.” From this feedback, the district partnered with demographic research firm, McKibben Demographic Research, LLC, creating an ambitious plan to upgrade and expand its school facilities. Flynt points out, “We know we are growing fast, but we really needed some hard data, because we do not want to over build in one area and