[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6269762,"mediaKeyId","3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138","parentId",3040591,"title","Policy council recommends Yolanda Willis for Early Head Start director; board accepts March report and will forward candidate to federal office","audioSeconds",575,"startMs",2922000,"endMs",3497000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138&start=2922&end=3497","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138/thumbnail_2922000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6269762/Georgia/Policy-council-recommends-Yolanda-Willis-for-Early-Head-Start-director-board-accepts-March-report-and-will-forward-candidate-to-federal-office","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269762-01d2a800b376b5f7b5a00d2fc4eb30fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078228&Signature=K-iHSQsmUrIEI9yLRXhwIDlFUQOTcoTqo40b0aVLF485rDytUhQUjQ6n~HD2sqGcvGgBk~yN0E7zPbgyHMrhFIr~ryxpe3QKrxm10TSgRKvors5Y4BzRLOucvkn2jj~Dx6NNLKOwgJmjQK9LcGAP~kLKgRwFbYQQiWbg0ycYw2GAjreIQSYHtiwjIfcNLsFBS~f~DUr0-neXXxxaDNoXlLB~bAnV9dQ8TAL5~dUfy19LoZAmU6AJEfVD1dBFsjQZvaOokeT22ZkTCUfGXQJT6z5J8iO5a6FLRCfnyn0kBKmjvKGAKpoyfbg4cOskFRJJRLuUqTu1ZzTy6UoBPzD52Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-17T17:31:50.187Z","article","At the April 4 Burke County Board of Education meeting staff reported Early Head Start monthly operational data and presented a candidate recommended by the program’s policy council for the director’s position.

Miss Marie Reed, Early Head Start program representative, reported March 2025 enrollment and program metrics: funded enrollment of 94 children, average daily attendance of 87, eight children on the wait list, 30 children in transition, two pregnant women enrolled, health checks at 81 percent, immunizations at 100 percent, and meeting the program target of 10 percent enrollment of children with disabilities. Miss Reed also reported $21,679 in in‑kind contributions and included budget pages showing year‑to‑date spending at about 57 percent through the period presented.

Miss Reed told trustees that Policy Council interviewed candidates and voted to recommend Miss Yolanda Willis as the candidate for the Early Head Start program director position. Miss Reed said the Policy Council motion to recommend Willis was made by parent Stacey Richardson and seconded by parent Lucretia Brown.

A staff member explained the remaining approval steps: first, the governing board must accept the Policy Council recommendation; second, the recommendation is sent to the Office of Head Start, which must approve the candidate before a job offer can be made. \"The Office of Head Start considers the director’s position a key position,\" a staff member said, and described the three-step process of Policy Council recommendation, governing-board approval and federal office approval.

The board voted to accept the March Early Head Start report. The transcript records the Policy Council recommendation and board acceptance of the program report; it does not record final board approval of the director candidate or the Office of Head Start decision.

Miss Reed also reminded trustees of annual governance training scheduled in May at the Early Head Start Center and said staff would provide food and other arrangements for the session.

Votes at a glance

- Policy Council motion to recommend Yolanda Willis as candidate for Early Head Start program director: Passed by Policy Council (motion recorded in Policy Council minutes).
- Board motion to accept the Early Head Start March report: Passed (vote recorded as carried in meeting minutes).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Policy council voted to recommend Yolanda Willis as candidate for Burke County Early Head Start program director; the board accepted the March program report April 4. Final hiring requires board approval and Office of Head Start sign‑off before an offer can be made.","taxTitle","Burke County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",60228,"location","Georgia","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6269767,"UGA Archway Partnership reviews 34 Burke County projects, asks community to weigh continued MOU",1573,1337000,2910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138&start=1337&end=2910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138/thumbnail_1337000.jpg","/articles/6269767/Georgia/UGA-Archway-Partnership-reviews-34-Burke-County-projects-asks-community-to-weigh-continued-MOU","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269767-769766552f2fe413175e732a59103ebe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078228&Signature=i1mPBzhjxNPB~AjtdWZjr~smSbp421wpT7gXHqXG5XlXM5~6XOaaKHtX-cBUaPr0p-BwdxpQe-EX2j8YMLB3Pekhg6wjj9j7Vynv2C3Hs~nMHW9X9aJbw8Y7vQSwHaHFzQW02CukzC4MUt2YmLwwkjXlsXHlGpJTmSg5~ZT1BEnrhJRPuBKQ1qD4gpKDMSbpcM-xA5XmIv~OojiLya6aguGkiLNU59SlG5vtobCR-CCWMn~4u36EjekFGX6tymgXio01WWk-n47GHiMLctOYVdnltdUmshkkSFrl2RBzZCPlqjwp0Z~b3e0VFfK9zeRrSYLUeuwNNoc4aspj3AH6uA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Connie Fennel Burley, the Archway professional assigned to Washington County who has been filling in for Burke County since late fall, told trustees at the April 4 meeting that the University of Georgia Archway Partnership has completed 34 projects for Burke County, has five projects in process, and has engaged about 50 students and 14 faculty on local projects.

Burley described Archway as a community-driven UGA public-service program that connects local leaders with students, faculty and resources. She said the partnership’s stated goal is to address locally identified community and economic-development issues and that the Archway executive committee — made up of local leaders and funding partners — helps set priorities.

\"The community knows what challenges are here,\" Burley said. \"Archway's whole mission is to come alongside of what is going on in the community and figure out ways to partner with community members ... and help you reach the goals that whatever the community is trying to work on.\" She outlined example projects that have ranged from housing assessments and downtown design to workforce studies and hospital health-needs assessments.

Burley told trustees Archway’s recorded return on investment for Burke County between 2022 and 2024 is about $436,000. She said Archway projects are assigned conservative values based on student, graduate and faculty time and expertise, and that typical funding for Archway work is roughly two-thirds state support and one-third from community partners.

She noted the Archway relationship runs on a yearly memorandum of understanding (MOU) and observed many communities commit three to five years while others have been Archway partners longer. Burley asked local leaders to consider whether to continue the partnership as the current MOU period comes up for decision.

Lisa Hopper, the Georgia Power area manager and chair of the Archway executive committee in the region, accompanied Burley to the meeting and was introduced during the presentation. Trustees asked for details about specific completed projects and the project tracking database; Burley said Archway maintains a database with student and faculty participation records and a list of completed and in-process items.

Burley listed projects completed in Burke County including a housing assessment, zoning and ordinance research, downtown restroom concept design, park and streetscape designs, workforce data reports, an internship and career expo, and a VITA tax-assistance project among others. Trustees had follow-up questions about funding partners and the community-level process. Burley said the board of education serves as one of the leading local funding partners for the Archway program in Burke County.

Burley closed by recommending a community mindset of cross‑sector collaboration and a review (or \"reset\") of local Archway priorities to align with current needs and the resources the university can bring.

No formal board action was recorded on continuing the Archway MOU during the April 4 meeting.","Connie Fennel Burley of the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership briefed the Burke County Board of Education on Archway’s community-driven projects, student and faculty involvement, return on investment figures and a coming decision on whether to continue the memorandum of understanding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6269772,"Burke County board approves 7% COLA for all staff for 2025-26 school year",706,599000,1305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138&start=599&end=1305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040591-1e6f8125db09d6b192f4741d4fdea138/thumbnail_599000.jpg","/articles/6269772/Georgia/Burke-County-board-approves-7-COLA-for-all-staff-for-2025-26-school-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269772-0be528eff61f044242c81e8d5935b03c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078228&Signature=ayPrzi60MbI6Lqfl~atTjrBw6pGxoxNGZ0zaR8WYTG9kOCIZymg8W9Ck~3lL~XwA8wn92PmGZMOuW~bJ8yphf2E4QULcRsbpp3SD0toYVaexdvMAMMBszQWWAmEjCuxTvQ2JJNdUKLHL5Rqht9bdvvFxzoczaI9-OOV1HwoprqquPzIzoWVeRKNd5hx8b2eP41OJYzfaOv603OMremwG-voTpQ8MLurCVLdGgp5B~nMMrlStaoVQOLrEumG3jZX2nk5ac~72lbjoMkX8UJQqW8e8NPS6apdYqpkzATMIUs29X9dQLBc7dX2rGDC~Bv1LeVk40cRDyg7z4ZvEFvLtdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its April 4 meeting the Burke County Board of Education voted to approve a 7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all school system employees for the 2025-26 school year, the board announced by show of hands after a motion and second.

The board heard a financial presentation from Mrs. Marchman, who told trustees the district has collected $69,561,576 in revenues through March 2025 and held $239,973,487.35 in investments as of March 31, 2025. Mrs. Marchman said the district’s end-of-period general fund equity was $250,622,067 and that interest earnings since July 1, 2022, total $23,274,811.82, with $7,816,282.53 earned in the current fiscal year. She also presented the cost of automatic step increases (longevity steps) at $435,976 and explained the COLA tables showing options from 2% to 7%.

\"I would never present a COLA to you that we could not afford,\" Mrs. Marchman said during her presentation, adding that federal program salaries (Title I and school nutrition) were excluded from the local-salary COLA analysis because they are reimbursed separately.

Board discussion was brief but split on the rate. Dr. Miles said she preferred a higher increase to help employees keep pace with rising living costs: \"I'd like to see as high as we can ... I'd like to see how employees receive the benefits,\" she said. Other trustees urged caution, citing inflation measures and the long-term budget impact of adding recurring pay increases.

A trustee moved the 7% COLA motion and a second was made; the board voted by show of hands and the motion carried. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or the names of the mover and seconder.

Board members were told a tentative budget incorporating the COLA will be prepared for approval in May and that whatever rate the board adopts now will be built into the next year’s salary base.

Clarifying details recorded at the meeting emphasized that the automatic step (one-year experience on the pay scale) does not require board approval and was shown separately from percentage COLA scenarios; the presented COLA figures exclude federally funded positions and school nutrition staff. Mrs. Marchman also reminded trustees that the district’s current fund balance and recent interest income provide capacity to support an increase, while several board members noted that a recurring percentage increase compounds into future budgets.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to set a 7% COLA for all Burke County school staff for the 2025-26 school year: Passed by show of hands; tally not specified in the transcript. The motion applied to local salary lines and did not change federal Title I or school nutrition salary reimbursements.","At its April 4 meeting the Burke County Board of Education voted to grant a 7% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff in the 2025-26 school year after hearing financial context from system staff and brief discussion among board members.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Policy council recommends Yolanda Willis for Early Head Start director; board accepts March report and will forward candidate to federal office

UGA Archway Partnership reviews 34 Burke County projects, asks community to weigh continued MOU

Burke County board approves 7% COLA for all staff for 2025-26 school year