It is my pleasure to welcome you to Monroe County Schools. The mission for Monroe County Schools is simple: Learn. Grow. Succeed. Our vision is just as clear: developing students with the knowledge and skills to be successful. Graduates of Monroe County Schools will be known as high achievers and positive contributing members of society. Our dedicated faculty works hard to demonstrate exceptional teaching reflective of the best practices found in education. We believe in connecting students to extracurricular activities through clubs, fine arts, or athletics to enhance their educational experience and engage them at the highest level. 

We also strive to provide extra help opportunities for students who are struggling as well as for students who wish to be challenged at higher levels. We believe the teacher-student relationship is a critical piece to student achievement. All teachers are expected to know their students’ strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles.

You have entrusted Monroe County Schools with your child’s education and future. We are dedicated to providing them with the best possible learning experience in a safe and comfortable environment. Today, teachers are working harder than ever to ensure that students learn. But teachers cannot do their jobs effectively without the support of parents. I would like to encourage parents to get involved in Monroe County. All students need parental support and so do all schools.

Our teachers and counseling department are working diligently every year to increase communication and outreach with parents. Developing open communication and positive relationships between teachers, administrators, students, and parents is a priority at Monroe County. 

For information on what is happening at MCS or how to get involved, check the parent section of our website, download our Monroe County Schools app, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve our website, please contact our Communications & Fine Arts Center Coordinator, Mrs. Kari Buckindail, at Kari.Buckindail@mcschools.org. 

Bio

Jim Finch is in his fourth year as Superintendent of schools and 33rd year overall in education. Dr. Finch served as the principal at Mary Persons High School from 2007-2022 and is in his 20th year overall in Monroe County Schools. Dr. Finch received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Georgia Southern University in 1994 and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Georgia College and State University in 2001. In 2015, Dr. Finch defended his dissertation, The Effect of the Self-contained Ninth Grade Campus on Student Achievement Indicators, and received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Valdosta State University. 

Dr. Finch began his teaching career in 1994 as a math teacher and coach at Peach County High School in Fort Valley, GA. While at Peach County, Dr. Finch taught math for ten years and served as the math department chair for the last five of those. He served as assistant principal during his last two years at Peach County High. In addition to his instructional and supervisory duties, Dr. Finch coached football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf during his 12 years in Fort Valley. Dr. Finch coached in the 1998, 2003, and 2005 AAA state championship football games, serving as defensive coordinator in those latter two games and winning the AAA state championship in 2005. At the conclusion of the 2005-2006 school year, Dr. Finch made the transition to principal.

Dr. Finch is a member of the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), and the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL).  He was a member of the PAGE Principal Leadership Network in 2010-2012 and completed the Superintendents Professional Development Program (SPDP) in 2023. Dr. Finch also serves on the Board of Control for the Middle Georgia RESA. 

Dr. Finch has served and continues to serve in many other statewide associations. Dr. Finch has served on the Board of Trustees for the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) since 2016, and in 2026, was re-elected as the President of the GHSA for a third term. Additionally, Dr. Finch has served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL, 2018-2020) and for the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP, 2016-2021). Dr. Finch served as Vice President, President, Past President, and State Coordinator for GASSP. Dr. Finch served as Georgia’s voting advocacy delegate in Washington, D.C. to NASSP during the 2014-2017 school years. He has served as a lecturer and guest presenter for local RESA’s and statewide for the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. 

A native of Commerce, GA, Dr. Finch comes from a family of educators. His father, Aubrey Finch, served as a high school principal for 33 years and retired with over 47 years in public education. His mother, Kate Finch, is a retired English/Language Arts teacher of gifted and special needs students. Dr. Finch has two siblings in education as well. His eldest brother, Bob, is a retired educator still working as a return-to-work teacher in Commerce City Schools with over 38 years of service. His sister, Dr. Kathy Thompson,  is a professor at the University of Georgia in her 39th year of education. His other brother is the Honorable William A. Finch, who serves as the Solicitor General of Forsyth County. 

Dr. Finch has been married to his wife of 28 years, Kelli, who works as a real estate agent in the middle Georgia area. They have four children, two adult-age and two school-age children. Kennedy (MP ‘18) is a Cum Laude Double Eagle graduate of Georgia Southern University and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Development and Major Gifts in the athletics department at the University of Georgia.  Jimbo (MP ‘20) is a 2024 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Georgia Southern University and is a Sales Associate for the PGA Tour in Atlanta, GA. Carli is a sophomore at Mary Persons High School, and Max is an 8th grade student at Monroe County Middle.