Oglethorpe County Board of Education

BOE has plans for a senior tax break

Lucy Grey Shields
Thursday, March 20, 2025
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education has created a plan to provide property tax relief for senior citizens. The idea, which is subject to legislative approval and then a ballot referendum, would apply to property owners who are 65 years old or older with no school-aged children in their home.
Oglethorpe County Primary and Elementary School principal Katie Baldwin hugs special education parapro Toni Evans after presenting her with the OCES Classified Employee of the Year award at the board of education meeting in Lexington, Georgia, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Three of the county's four Classified Employees of the Year were honored at the November Board of Education meeting. (Photo/Cassidy Hettesheimer)

Oglethorpe County Primary and Elementary School principal Katie Baldwin hugs special education parapro Toni Evans after presenting her with the OCES Classified Employee of the Year award at the board of education meeting in Lexington, Georgia, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Three of the county's four Classified Employees of the Year were honored at the November Board of Education meeting. (Photo/Cassidy Hettesheimer)

BOE approves purchase of three school buses

Caleb Baldwin and Cassidy Hettesheimer
Thursday, November 9, 2023
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education approved buying three new buses and discussed other structural improvements at its Tuesday meeting.
Ninth-grader James Adams (left), who achieved a perfect score on an Algebra I End of Course Test after completing a summer class through Georgia’s Virtual School. Third-grader Catherine Yauck (right), who won first place in the Plains Peanut Festival Postcard Contest. (Photo/Caleb Baldwin)

Ninth-grader James Adams (left), who achieved a perfect score on an Algebra I End of Course Test after completing a summer class through Georgia’s Virtual School. Third-grader Catherine Yauck (right), who won first place in the Plains Peanut Festival Postcard Contest. (Photo/Caleb Baldwin)

BOE approves bus radios, routing software

Caleb Baldwin
Thursday, October 5, 2023
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education unanimously approved two measures to help bus transportation at its meeting on Tuesday.   The first was the purchase of bus routing software, not to exceed $15,000.    Board members expressed concern with the large number of bus riders.
Oglethorpe Board of Education members (from left) Guillermo Camacho, Tim Poole, Beverley Levine and Becky Soto discuss the approval of the new rate. The board voted 5-0 to approve the rate, while Susan Robinson had a planned absence. (Photo/Caleb Baldwin)

Oglethorpe Board of Education members (from left) Guillermo Camacho, Tim Poole, Beverley Levine and Becky Soto discuss the approval of the new rate. The board voted 5-0 to approve the rate, while Susan Robinson had a planned absence. (Photo/Caleb Baldwin)

After hearings, BOE goes with lower rate

Caleb Baldwin
Thursday, September 21, 2023
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education approved a lower millage rate of 15.824 for the 2024 fiscal year.    This is a 0.826-mill decrease from 16.650 in 2023. Though this is a decrease, residents will see a 9.
CASSIDY HETTESHEIMER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Oglethorpe County School Superintendent Beverley Levine (left) and Becky Soto, chair of the Board of Education, discuss the 2023 Georgia Milestones scores and other business at a meeting on Tuesday night. The Board of Education will host two public hearings about the millage rate on Friday, Sept. 8.

CASSIDY HETTESHEIMER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Oglethorpe County School Superintendent Beverley Levine (left) and Becky Soto, chair of the Board of Education, discuss the 2023 Georgia Milestones scores and other business at a meeting on Tuesday night. The Board of Education will host two public hearings about the millage rate on Friday, Sept. 8.

BOE proposes lower millage rate

Caleb Baldwin and Cassidy Hettesheimer
Thursday, September 7, 2023
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education presented a lower millage rate for 2024, although the amount of taxes collected will increase by nearly 10%. The BOE said the new millage rate, which is the amount of tax dollars for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value, would be 15.
Members of the Board of Education (from left) Susan Robinson, Tim Poole, Superintendent Beverley Levine, BOE Chair Becky Soto, Jake Willcox and Guillermo Camacho discuss matters at the BOE meeting on Tuesday night. (JULIANNE AKERS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Members of the Board of Education (from left) Susan Robinson, Tim Poole, Superintendent Beverley Levine, BOE Chair Becky Soto, Jake Willcox and Guillermo Camacho discuss matters at the BOE meeting on Tuesday night. (JULIANNE AKERS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Computer science options presented

Julianne Akers
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Oglethorpe County Board of Education members were excited at Tuesday’s meeting to hear what several school leaders gathered from a conference they attended earlier this summer with the International Society for Technology in Education.
The Oglethorpe Echo

The Oglethorpe Echo

Job description for BOE District 1 representative

News Staff
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Notice of Oglethorpe County Board of Education’s intent to ap- point a District 1 Representative to the Oglethorpe County Board of Education to fill the vacant seat for District 1 ending Dec. 31, 2024.   The Georgia Constitution requires that an elected school board oversee each school system.

BOE’s Cherry resigns

McCain Bracewell
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Oglethorpe County District 1 Board of Education member Collin Cherry has resigned from his position, effective last week, to pursue the school system’s transportation director position.
Longtime board member Dave Hawkins opens a present that was given to him during the BOE meeting on Tuesday, his last as a member of the board. (Emily Rose Hamby/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Longtime board member Dave Hawkins opens a present that was given to him during the BOE meeting on Tuesday, his last as a member of the board. (Emily Rose Hamby/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Hawkins receives jacket for service to board of education

Emily Rose Hamby
Monday, December 12, 2022
Dave Hawkins was given a fond farewell at his final Oglethorpe County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night.   Hawkins, who didn’t seek re-election this year after district lines were changed, was presented with an embroidered jacket detailing his achievements as a board member.