Monroe County Schools

At its Tuesday night meeting, the Monroe County Board of Education honored a man whose name is synonymous with school spirit, service, and community leadership. He’s a true Friend of Education for Monroe County Schools, Mr. Keith Edge. A 1978 graduate of Mary Persons High School and three-sport letterman, Mr. Edge’s roots in Monroe County Schools run deep. As a standout athlete in football, basketball, and tennis, he showed early on what it meant to lead with passion and integrity. Since then, Keith has poured that same energy into serving our schools, students, and families. As Monroe County’s Recreation Director from 2013 to 2018, Keith oversaw a 46% increase in youth sports registration in his first year alone. He expanded programming, introduced pickleball at the Youth Center, and created the Monroe Champions baseball league—an inclusive program for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that earned statewide recognition and touched countless lives. He founded the MP Dog Pound student section, energized school spirit, and helped bring student-athlete stories to life through the MP Sportsmic Broadcast Network. A long-time member and past president of the MP Touchdown Club, and a charter member of the Forsyth-Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Committee, Mr. Edge has worked tirelessly to celebrate our community’s athletic excellence. But his impact goes beyond the field. From opening car doors at elementary schools to supporting Special Olympics, sponsoring sports teams, and serving on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, he has shown up for students in every way that matters. Mr. Edge, your unwavering support, joyful presence, and love for Monroe County Schools have made a lasting difference. It is an honor to recognize you as a Friend of Education. #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed

The Monroe County Board of Education will meet in regular session on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will include a public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget. The meeting will take place in the boardroom at the Central Office. #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence

At the GAPT Fleet Conference this week, MCS mechanic Phillip Lassor was named 2025 Georgia Technician of the Year by GAPT and GaDOE! Last year, Michael Knight received the same award. It's a big deal for any technician to win this title, but to have two in the same district win back-to-back is an impressive feat. Congratulations!!! We are lucky to have both of you in our district! #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence

The Monroe County Board of Education will meet in called session on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. in the boardroom at the Central Office. The purpose of this meeting is a public hearing on the FY26 budget, a tribunal appeal, and personnel. #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed

Congratulations to our Class of 2025 Valedictorian, Lucas Cantrell, and our Salutatorian, Gabriella Hoover! You have had incredible high school careers and we couldn't be prouder. We can't wait to see what you do in the future! #ChaMP #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed

It has been an incredible year for KBS Principal Dr. Christina Chapman! In March, she successfully defended her dissertation and earned her doctorate's degree. Less than two weeks ago, she was named the 2025 Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals District 11 Principal of the Year. Now, she can add 2025 GAESP State Principal of the Year to her impressive resume. Congratulations, Dr. Chapman! We are so proud of you. You are a shining example of our mission, #LearnGrowSucceed. Our students, staff, and community are blessed to have you in their lives. #CommittedToExcellence

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Christina Chapman on being named the 2025 Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals District 11 Principal of the Year! We are blessed to have Dr. Chapman in our district and know she 100% deserves this recognition and honor. We are thankful for everything she does for our KBS Knights and the community! #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence

It's Teacher Appreciation Week. To help us celebrate, tell us what you love most about your child's teachers. #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence #teacherappreciationweek

The Monroe County Board of Education will meet in called session on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. in the boardroom at the Central Office. The purpose of this meeting is: Approval of the Guaranteed Maximum Price for the Hubbard Roof Project and Personnel. #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence

We want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete our annual parent survey, which is linked below. The survey closes Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 5 p.m. Responses are used to support the continuous improvement process at the school and system levels. Please submit one survey for each student in your household. Your feedback is important and appreciated. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RPC67ZJ

Pre-K registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. Registration is solely online again this year. Click the link below to start the registration process. Remember, students registering for Pre-Kindergarten must be 4 years old on or before September 1st. #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence https://campus.monroe.k12.ga.us/campus/OLRLoginKiosk/monroe?configGroupID=15

Monroe County Schools will be closed April 7 - 11, 2025 for Spring Break. We hope you all have a wonderful week, and return rested and ready to face the final leg of the 2024-2025 school year. #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence #SpringBreak

For Immediate Release - On Monday, March 31, 2025, an unauthorized male was found walking on the campus, outside and behind the building of Hubbard Elementary School. The Hubbard administrative team, including the HES SRO, were notified. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was contacted. MCSO responded and determined that he had outstanding warrants in DeKalb County. They took him into custody. No students or staff were harmed during the incident. We’d like to thank the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response to this incident.

As March winds down, we want to take a minute to recognize our amazing athletic trainers, Sean Boland and Ashley Boyd. Not only are they Champions in Health Care, but they also earned special recognition from Georgia College & State University. Thanks to their hard work, GC&SU has selected Mary Persons as the 2024 Clinical Site of the Year. In announcing the award, GC&SU wrote, "We have various clinical sites with outstanding preceptors and both Sean and Ashley have gone above and beyond for our program. Both are fundamental assets in the clinical growth and development of our students. We truly could not do what we do without their willingness to mentor our students in the field." Please help us congratulate them on this outstanding accomplishment! #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence #chaMP

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Monroe County Board of Education approved the appointment of Mrs. Sherondah Epps to Mary Persons High School Principal effective July 1, 2025. Mrs. Epps is currently the Assistant Principal at Mary Persons High School and has been serving in this role since 2022. Mrs. Epps has been an educator for 23 years, with 22 of these dedicated to serving the students and educators of Monroe County Schools. Her teaching career began in 2002 at J.A. Dobbins Middle School in Paulding County. In 2003, she relocated to Middle Georgia and joined the faculty at Monroe County Middle School/Banks Stephens Middle School, where she taught English and history for grades 6-8 and coached athletics until 2012. She transitioned to Graduation Coach at Mary Persons High School for the 2012-2013 school year. In 2013, she returned to Monroe County Middle School to serve as the Instructional Coach before being appointed Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, a role she held from 2015 to 2022. Mrs. Epps holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Georgia Southern University, a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Georgia College and State University, and an Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University. She is an active member of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP), the Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA), and the Georgia Athletic Officials Association (GAOA). Throughout her career, Mrs. Epps has been honored with several recognitions, including the 2006-2007 Banks Stephens Middle School Teacher of the Year and the 2006-2007 Monroe County Teacher of the Year. In recommending Mrs. Epps to her position, Superintendent Dr. Jim Finch said, “Mrs. Epps has been a high performing employee in Monroe County Schools for 22 years now. I am confident that she will meet the challenges of the high school principalship the same way she has met every challenge thus far. I am excited to see where her leadership takes MPHS.”

The Monroe County Board of Education will meet in regular session on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the boardroom at the Central Office. #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed

On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the Monroe County Board of Education approved the appointment of Mr. Tamarkis Taylor to T.G. Scott Elementary School Principal effective July 1, 2025. Mr. Taylor is currently the Assistant Principal at T.G. Scott and has been serving in this role since 2021. Mr. Taylor is a Forsyth native and a 2009 graduate of Mary Persons High School. He began his teaching career as a third grade teacher at T.G. Scott, before becoming Assistant Principal. He was also the Monroe County Schools Teacher of the Year in 2019. Mr. Taylor holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Middle Georgia State University, a Master’s degree in Reading and Literacy, and a Specialist degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Walden University. Mr. Taylor succeeds Mr. Chad Sanders who is moving into a position at the Central Office. In recommending Mr. Taylor to his position, Superintendent Dr. Jim Finch said, “Mr. Taylor is an excellent choice and fit to be the next principal at T.G. Scott Elementary. Mr. Taylor has led a strong instructional focus during his time as a grade level leader and assistant principal. We expect great accomplishments and a continued focus on excellence during Mr. Taylor’s tenure. I am confident he will ensure every child will learn, grow, and succeed.”

Congratulations to our Monroe County elementary students who are advancing to the state science fair on March 28th! You did a great job with your science fair projects! Best in Show: Austin Windham - "How long does it take for water to be absorbed into different surfaces?" 1st Place: Tennyson Sparks & Parker Swain - "Does food coloring affect taste?" 2nd Place: Katherine Holland - "Which substance cleans raw chicken the best?" 3rd Place: Emery Fuller - "Which type of light makes plants grow the tallest?" Angelina Rosenker - "Which liquid makes M&M's dissolve?" Bryce Renfroe - "Which football helmet is the safest?" Amelia Barrett - "How does salt affect the way ice melts?" Anna Ham - "Will 1, 2, or 3 eggs make the most dense brownies?" Qualifying Score to Advance to State Rayleigh Middleton - "What helps me sleep longer?" Lula Jones- "How much baking powder makes the fluffiest cookies?" Avery Lancaster & Camden Peed- "Best food or liquid to ice the spice?" Oliver Kump- "What is the best cooking method for crispy fries?" #LearnGrowSucceed #CommittedToExcellence

The Monroe County Board of Education will meet in regular session on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. A portion of the meeting will serve as the final public hearing on HB581. The meeting will begin in the BOE Auditorium and then move to the boardroom. #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed

Mary Persons High School nutrition manager Michele Roberts and her hard-working team of assistants listened to student requests and surveys to deliver a new delicious meal option for today's lunch. Her sweet red chili boneless chicken wings were the perfect balance of spicy and sweet and are rapidly becoming a favorite among MPHS students. #GATrayoftheWeek #CommittedToExcellence #LearnGrowSucceed