4 months ago
The Monroe County school system is celebrating an outstanding achievement from the Georgia Department of Education. All five of their schools made Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP and the district as a whole made AYP for the fourth year in a row, the only district to do so in Central Georgia. Tabitha Hare supports her daughter Alex in the Monroe County marching band. She believes a team needs practice to make perfect on the field, but no one can beat Monroe County's achievements in the classroom. "To be here and to know that this county can make AYP year after year after year is a tremendous opportunity," said Hare. She moved her family to Juliette from Newton County several years ago, with the school system in mind. Realtor Connie Ham says hundreds of people may have the same idea. "That is the defining factor when people are considering moving here. They'll drive distances to work as long as their children get a good education," said Ham of Middle Georgia Realty in Forsyth. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city of Forsyth grew 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, making it the state's eighth-fastest growing city. Mike Hickman, principal at Banks Stephens Middle School, says top-quality teachers make all the difference. "We have some of the most talented teachers that I've ever worked with or been around in Monroe County," said Hickman. He also says each school keeps a running report card of strengths and weaknesses and addresses weaknesses aggressively. Tabitha Hare says her daughter's future looks bright with a diploma from Monroe County. "It'll help her whichever school system she chooses to go to." Although Monroe is the only school district in the area to make AYP four years in a row, Bleckley County made it for the second straight year. No other counties in the area have made AYP for the past two years.
