During the Nov. 10 Oconee County Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Robert Butler used his report to announce a leadership transition and to highlight district successes. He said Dr. Deborah Harden "will officially return to retirement on November 21," noting her long service to Oconee County Schools and role this year as interim and associate superintendent.

Butler also reported that "county voters overwhelmingly approved the continuation of ESPLOST," the district's education special-purpose local option sales tax, which he said "provides vital funding for our facilities, technology, transportation, and the maintenance of our existing school campuses." He thanked the community for its support and said schools will hold Veterans Day events and Thanksgiving feasts (he noted more than 7,000 meals were served across the district last year).

Butler closed his report by celebrating recent athletic accomplishments: Oconee County High School won the boys cross country state championship, the girls cross country team finished as Class 3A state runner-up, and middle and high school teams earned regional and state titles in several categories. He invited questions; none were recorded before the meeting moved to presentations.