Business View Civil Municipal - Sept 2023

I RWIN COUNT Y SCHOOLS Prioritizing Safety with Proactive Measures and Collaborative Efforts Safety has always been a top priority for Irwin District Schools, which employ a resource officer at the middle/high school and the elementary school. Ongoing upgrades to the camera and locking systems are also in effect, along with gates at entrances and exits on all student parking lots. Teachers and administrators wear digital badges with the ability to request immediate help if required, ensuring that any potential emergencies or safety issues can be addressed promptly. SPLOST funds were also used to add a push-button system in all classrooms, providing direct communication with the main office. When it comes to safety, Billingsley admits, “We’re continuing to try to improve that. We have an administrator who was a former military, former police officer and is still an officer of the court, who is now our safety coordinator. He directly supervises our SROs. We have bimonthly meetings, not only with SROs, our safety coordinator, and administrators, but our sheriff and our police chief, and their direct second in command, just to make sure that we’re still on the same page. We are blessed because everywhere doesn’t have that kind of relationship when it comes to the school system, with county and city officials working together.” Empowering Students through CTAE Programs Using a Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) focus, students at Irwin County Schools can work toward careers in various fields through relevant knowledge, skills, and hands-on learning experiences. Irwin County’s CTAE department offers a diverse range of strong programs, including robotics and engineering, early childhood education, business pathways, and JROTC. Agriculture stands as the largest pathway, with the Case Farm being a significant part of the program. Assistant Superintendent Candice Cobb describes, “Case Farm is a 20-acre, fully operational school farm. It teaches children of all ages from pre-K through 12th grade how to grow food, harvest it, preserve it, and add value to those agricultural products.” At the farm, students engage in various agricultural activities, including operating a grist mill. They grow corn, harvest it, process it into grits and cornmeal, and then package and sell it. Irwin County Schools’ agricultural program goes beyond traditional farming, teaching students the business aspects as well. Two students became national and state champions in a FLEX competition, which Billingsley describes as similar to the popular Shark Tank competition, but for high schoolers to showcase their business and marketing skills. “That’s a direct reflection of the work that those teachers do on a day-to-day basis, and we’re proud of that,” Billingsley remarks.