Board honors AP Scholars, recognizes national and state winners from the District

PERRY — The Houston County Board of Education acknowledged many students for their accomplishments over the past school year in their September meeting on Tuesday. 

The Board first heard from the principals of Bonaire Middle, C.B. Watson Primary, Centerville Elementary and David Perdue Elementary. Each principal brought two star students and highlighted their school’s Teacher of the Year. 

“Thank you to all of our guests. We always enjoy hearing from our principles, teachers and students,” Board Chair Helen Hughes said. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard Rogers recognized the many AP Scholars from Perry High School. He said over 3,600 Advanced Placement Exams were given in the District. 

“We had so many students score a perfect score of five that we needed not one, not two, but three board meetings,” Rogers said. 

Perry High School students were recognized first and had 33 students score a five on their AP exams. 

“We are proud of you guys, you are the future and you are making a difference, so thank you for what you’re doing,” he said. 

FCCLA National Winners from Bonaire Middle, Northside High School, Perry Middle, Thomson Middle, and Warner Robins Middle School were announced. The students from these schools achieved first, second or third place during the competition. 

The Board also recognized Aly Corzine of Veterans High School for being awarded as the FFA State Winner, Air Force JROTC teams from Perry and Veterans High Schools for their National Awards and Perry High School student Rachel Manuel for being a Governor’s Honors participant. 

“Congratulations to everyone. It is awesome to see you come and share all of your accomplishments with us as it makes us proud,” Hughes said. 

In Board member comments, Mark Ivory pointed out that there were a lot of school mascots in the room, such as panthers, tigers, warriors, eagles and bulldogs. He wanted everyone to consider the eagle, which he described as one of the most admired birds in the world which is known for its vision, strength and ability to fly high in the sky. 

“Eagles have incredibly sharp eye sight as they can spot prey from several kilometers away. They are powerful and carry prey much heavier than themselves. Eagles fly very high altitudes where other birds cannot reach,” he said. “Once an eagle locks on to its target, it doesn’t lose focus until it catches it.”

Ivory related the eagle’s way of life to our own personal ways of life. 

“Just like an eagle seeing far, we must have a clear vision for our lives. Eagles soar above storms instead of being trapped by them. In life, rise above problems instead of being overwhelmed,” he said. “Renewal is painful, but growth often requires change, sacrifice and letting go of old habits. Like an eagle never loses focus on the site of prey, stay focused on your career goals despite distractions. Aim to operate above average by setting yourself apart in skill and performance and be willing to retrain, re-skill and reinvent yourself to remain relevant.” 

Overall, Ivory said the eagle teaches us vision, focus, strength, renewal and rising above. 

“I challenge everyone to not grow wearing for running this race called life,” he said. “Just like the eagle, mount up your wings and soar.” 

In Dr. Rodgers’ Superintendent’s Report, he highlighted the success of the Board of Education meet and greets. These meet-and-greets allowed the community to meet the Board of Education and the Executive Cabinet. 

“In Warner Robins , families had a chance to tour the Lindsey Student Support Center during its open house, and in Perry, our Butterfly Project students gave a moving performance,” he said. “Our goal was to create open spaces for dialogue and community partnerships, and we appreciate everyone who joined us.” 

Rogers also spoke on the E-SPLOST projects by the Houston County School District, most notably the renovation of Centerville Elementary. He said without this E-SPLOST, they would not have maintained the lowest school district millage rate in the State. 

“Many families choose to move to Houston County because of our strong reputations of our schools, and E-SPLOST has played a key role in that culture of excellence,” he said. “From new schools to improved facilities and safety upgrades, E-SPLOST has allowed us to provide the quality education our students deserve while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. It’s important to note that this is a continuation of our current E-SPLOST and not a new tax.” 

In new business, the Board approved an out-of-county tuition for system employees at a rate of $2,415 for the 2025-2026 school year, as well as the Local Board Training Plan for the school year. 

The next Board of Education meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Board Office in Perry. The full agenda of this meeting can be found at simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=4089&MID=128285