Exemplary

Information

Board

The Dougherty County Board of Education is the governing body for the school system. Board members are elected for four-year terms. Six district members are chosen from geographic districts that coincide with the districts for Dougherty County Commission members. The seventh Board member is elected "at-large" from the entire county. Members elect their chairman and vice-chairman who serve two-year terms.

Board Meetings

Regular monthly meetings and briefings are scheduled the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the School Administration Building located at 200 Pine Avenue. Board Work Sessions and briefings are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the School Administration Building on the fourthThursday in the month.

Public Attendance

The public is encouraged to attend Board meetings. Sessions are open to the public, with the exceptions specifically allowed by law (personnel matters, real estate matters and legal matters). Citizens who wish to address the Board should submit a statement in writing to the Superintendent five days before the date of the meeting. The statement should include the topic and the name of the spokesperson to be placed on the Board's agenda. A spokesperson must be named if a delegation wishes to address the Board. Citizens are limited to ten minutes. To speak at a Board meeting without prior approval, a citizen must sign in at the beginning of the Board meeting. The topic must be an item on the agenda and the time is limited to five minutes.

Board Members

  • Melissa Strother (Chair)

  • Velvet Edwards Poole (Vice Chair)

  • Geraldine West Hudley

  • Norma Gaines-Heath

  • Robert Youngblood 

  • Rev. James Bush

  • Dr. Dean Phinazee 

Vision, Belief and Mission Statements

  • Core Belief: The Dougherty County School System is committed to providing the best quality educational opportunities for all children.

  • Vision: The Dougherty County School System is a destination school system that, in partnership with families and community partners, provides quality educational and social development experiences that empower its graduates to be successful and impactful contributors to society.

  • Mission Statement: The Dougherty County School System meets the academic and nonacademic needs of its students with rigorous and relevant educational experiences that equip them to succeed in life.

Complaint Chain of Command:

The Dougherty County School System has a dedicated complaint process to resolve issues that may arise from students, parents, employees* and community members. This chain-of-command allows for issues to be escalated where necessary to ensure issues are resolved efficiently and in a timely manner.

  • DCSS Complaint Chain of Command:

    • Issues at the school or department level should first be raised with the school principal or department head.

    • If the issue can’t be resolved at the principal/department head level, the issue can be escalated to the deputy superintendent’s office.

    • If there is no resolution at the deputy superintendent level, the issue can be escalated to the superintendent’s office.

    • Finally, if the issue can’t be addressed at the superintendent’s level, the issue can be raised to the board of Education level.

*Employees should follow the district’s employee grievance process. Please contact the Human Resources Office for more information.