Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for June 20, 2025

On June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei recanted his published theory that stated the sun was the center of the world and the earth was not.

On June 20, 1732, the signing of the Georgia Charter was completed by the British government.

Georgia’s Trustees voted on June 22, 1737 to seek bids for building churches at Savannah and Frederica.

Georgia’s Royal Colony Seal was approved on June 21, 1754.

Georgia Whigs voted on June 22, 1775 to join a boycott against British goods. That same day, the Continental Congress approved the issuance of $2 million in debt-backed currency.

On June 20, 1782, Congress adopted the Great Seal of the United States. Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, was responsible for the final design presented to Congress. The design approved by Congress was a written description without any sketches.

The Constitution of the United States of America was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify.

On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.

Beginning on December 7, five states–Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut–ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

On June 20, 1819, the SS Savannah entered the port at Liverpool, England, marking the first transatlantic crossing by a steam-powered ship, having sailed out of Savannah on May 20th.

The donut was invented on June 22, 1847.

General Robert E. Lee moved on Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant at Petersburg, Virginia on June 20, 1864.

The Battle of Kolb’s Farm was fought near Marietta, Georgia on June 22, 1864.

The United States Department of Justice was established on June 22, 1870.

Judson Lyons, the first black lawyer in Georgia, died on June 22, 1924, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill.

A lynch mob including members of the KKK killed three young civil rights activists who were trying to register African-Americans to vote near Meridian, Mississippi on June 21, 1964.

When Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney, a young black man, were coming back from a trip to Philadelphia, Mississippi, deputy sheriff Cecil Price, who was also a Klan member, pulled them over for speeding. He then held them in custody while other KKK members prepared for their murder. Eventually released, the three activists were later chased down in their car and cornered in a secluded spot in the woods where they were shot and then buried in graves that had been prepared in advance.

When news of their disappearance got out, the FBI converged on Mississippi to investigate. With the help of an informant, agents learned about the Klan’s involvement and found the bodies. Since Mississippi refused to prosecute the assailants in state court, the federal government charged 18 men with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney.

On June 22, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a law extending the 26th Amendment Right to Vote at age 18 to all federal, state, and local elections.

Jaws was released on June 20, 1975.

John W. Hinckley, Jr. was acquitted of attempted murder of President Ronald Reagan and others in the Presidential party by reason on insanity on June 21, 1982.

Voters in Sandy Springs approved the new city’s incorporation on June 21, 2005.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Augusta’s annual homelessness census shows that population nearly doubled over the last two years, according to WRDW.

The number of homeless people in Augusta nearly doubled from 2023 to this year.

More alarming: Kids make up the biggest age group.

The stark spike is something nonprofits have reported, and their observations are confirmed by the results of the 2025 “point in time” homeless census.

The 2025 count found 1,098 homeless people in Augusta at the start of 2025.

That compares to the survey found 643 in 2023.

The statistics aren’t available for 2024, so we can’t tell yet how quickly the numbers shot up.

Hurricane Helene likely played a role in the increase, according to those who serve the local homeless community.

Those who deal with the homeless on a daily basis have been telling us for months that they’re seeing the symptoms of the increase – from more people seeking assistance through Golden Harvest Food Bank to a need for services like Compass for Hope’s mobile laundry.

The 2025 “point in time” survey found children make up the largest single age group of homeless people.

The report said there were 395 homeless kids up to age 18.

That fits with what nonprofits are telling us – that there’s a huge proportion of food-insecure children in the CSRA. In fact, we learned a couple of weeks ago that Hancock County has the highest level of child hunger in the country.

Burke County Sheriff Alfonso Williams has sued the County Commission over budget issues, according to WJBF.

Burke County Sheriff Alfonso Williams is asking for a court order to allow him to have control over his department’s budget.

The order which his attorneys say would guarantee public officials carry out their duties required by law.

Shawn McCullers, Attorney with The Ifill Law Group. says control over the department’s budget is a key issue in making Burke County safer.

“They’re trying to require that not only you get the initial budget approval but subsequently that he has to come to them for “approval” of different section of those funds that were already allocated to him. It’s not that they’re saying ‘we don’t have the money to give you sheriff’ it’s ‘well no sheriff we’re not giving you the money, you go find it within the budget that you already have’,” said McCullers.

The sheriff’s office is in jeopardy of losing the funding for their body cameras along with other essential services despite yearly budget increases.

Another attorney for the sheriff says that while there has been increases in the budget, it is still not enough.

“The Sheriff’s Office, based off data that’s compiled throughout the year, presents to the board of commissioners what their needs are, and then it’s up to the board of commission to properly and reasonably find the Sheriff’s office, they haven’t done that. There’s been a deficit year in and year out because there has not been proper allocation to the sheriff’s office,” said Pierre Ifill, Attorney with The Ifill Law Group.

Alfonzo Williams, Burke County Sheriff voiced his concerns over the issue.

“As our lawyers have stated, the law is very clear. Once you pass what we consider a reasonable budget for the Sheriff, you cannot tell the Sheriff how to spend a single dime, not a single dime,” Williams said.

Burke County Commissioner, Evans Martin, gave us a statement saying, “The commission believes he is adequately funded and we expect him to stay within budget. It is unfortunate that the tax payers of Burke County have to endure the burden of him suing the Commissioner’s and the citizens.”

All Burke County judges and District Attorney Jared Williams have removed themselves from the case. The Sheriff’s Office is now waiting for a judge in a neighboring county to hear their case.

From WRDW:

Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams held a news conference Thursday afternoon regarding his mandamus filing against the county’s Board of Commissioners.

It’s all about money: The sheriff is suing commissioners over control of his budget. And his attorneys call the situation dire because the agency is running out of money.

The attorneys explained that a mandamus filing is a lawsuit asking a judge to order a person or organization to either do something or stop doing something.

In this case, Williams wants commissioners ordered to stop what he sees as interference with his budget.

The attorneys said the sheriff can’t fulfill his constitutional duties without a budget to back him up.

Williams had said he was filing a mandamus suit against the board, and his attorneys confirmed Thursday that he’s going forward with it.

They said, however, that they are dropping a stipulation that it be filed under seal.

That would have kept the proceedings private, but the commissioners opposed that.

So the attorneys said Thursday they would drop efforts to keep it under seal and instead it would be in the open.

They said they sought to keep it under seal because it might potentially contain information about inmates or other people that could open the county to litigation.

The attorneys say commissioners are trying to control Williams by controlling his budget.

However, they say that’s an overstep – that the only power commissioners have over the sheriff is to approve what’s considered a fair and reasonable budget.

Once that budget is approved, the commissioners have no power over how the money is spent or decisions made by the sheriff in the administration of his department, the attorneys said.

And it behooves the sheriff and the commissioners to work together, they said.

But the commissioners are hindering him out of “personal animus,” the attorneys said.

They gave an example of a time when Williams determined he could get vehicles serviced in a more timely manner by contracting for the services instead of using the county staff. As it turned out, it was also cheaper and he saved the county over $200,000, he said.

But he said the commissioners passed an ordinance that kept him from recovering that money to make up for funding issues elsewhere in the department. The ordinance forced him to ask commissioners for that money, and he said he still hasn’t seen it.

The attorneys said that in addition to eroding trust between members of the public and the sheriff they have repeatedly elected by a large margin, the grudge is putting deputies at risk because they don’t have or won’t have the equipment they need.

The attorneys repeatedly spoke of the important role of body cameras in law enforcement. They said that although the deputies have body cameras now, there are annual costs such as data storage fees. And they said because of the budget squabble, the sheriff is running out of money to pay for things like that.

They noted this isn’t the first time Williams has filed a mandamus suit over the budget However, his attorneys said the last one was dropped because he’d gotten assurances the commissioners would cooperate with him.

But that hasn’t happened, the attorneys said.

Tensions have been high indeed. In multiple letters to Gov. Brian Kemp, commissioners are asking for a state investigation of Williams. The sheriff has also appealed to the governor asking for support.

The commissioners have claimed throughout the yearslong battle that the sheriff isn’t spending within his means.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has filed a lawsuit against Fulton County, according to WRDW.

The law enforcement official overseeing the nation’s most notorious jail has filed a lawsuit against Fulton County leadership, accusing them of trying to usurp his authority.

On Tuesday, Sheriff Pat Labat filed the lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court.

In an Oct. 21, 2024, letter, Labat wrote he was seeking for the county to provide legal counsel to resolve the issues between the sheriff’s office and the board of commissioners.

Labat sent two letters to county leaders late last year, urging them to address his demands.

“I requested the appointment of conflict counsel for (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office) to address my concerns regarding the board’s unconstitutional efforts to control and punish my office,” Labat wrote in the letter.

Labat had given the board a deadline of Oct. 30, 2024, to “take action” surrounding his demands.

“Failing this, I will be compelled to file suit in the Superior Court of Fulton County to compel the board to fulfill its statutory obligations to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the people of Fulton County,” the letter stated.

On Wednesday, a Fulton County spokesperson said the county does not comment on matters of litigation.

Fulton County commissioners and Labat have battled for months over the sheriff’s management of county funds at the jail.

In a statement, Labat said the commissioners have “systematically undermined” his constitutional authority through “ordinances and resolutions that unlawfully interfere with my ability to manage an allocated budget and fulfill my sworn duties under the Georgia Constitution.

“Despite repeated requests to meet essential public safety needs, these requests have been ignored, obstructed, or delayed. For example, the denial of lifesaving tools like Narcan, or the repeated insistence that repairs be done to a dangerous and crumbling facility instead of replacing it.”

Labat said his office is not subordinate to the commissioners but “a constitutional office, and I will defend that authority to its fullest extent under the law.

“At its core, this legal action is about securing the freedom to build a stronger and more responsive Sheriff’s Office that can serve with greater distinction and fully honor the trust the people of Fulton County have placed in us,” Labat said.

Labat has said county leaders are not giving him the spending power as a constitutional officer to adequately address the crisis at the Fulton County Jail.

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts and other commissioners have repeatedly said Labat is spending outside of his budget, jeopardizing contracts with outside vendors, and putting the county at legal risk.

The jail has repeatedly been plagued by inmate deaths, overcrowding and unsanitary conditions.

From the AJC:

The sheriff filed a lawsuit against the county Tuesday, accusing its board of commissioners of thwarting his efforts to buy essential items including Narcan, the medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. He asked an Atlanta judge to void a 2024 purchasing ordinance he says is unconstitutional.

“People may die,” the sheriff’s lawyer, Christopher Balch, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday in relation to the county’s alleged interference in law enforcement. “Any time you interfere unnecessarily and unlawfully with the essential job functions of the constitutional office of sheriff, you interfere with public safety by definition.”

“At its core, this legal action is about securing the freedom to build a stronger and more responsive sheriff’s office that can serve with greater distinction and fully honor the trust the people of Fulton County have placed in us,” Labat said. “I will not stand by as the constitutional authority of this office is disregarded or diminished.”

In December 2024, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis threatened to sue the commissioners if they did not approve extra funding for her office. She said “people will die” unless more money is allocated to addressing the county jail’s “deplorable conditions.”

The sheriff’s spending was criticized by the board in April 2024, when an accounting firm hired to review his use of tax dollars reported several “high-risk activities.”

In July 2024, county commissioners amended the county’s purchasing code to apply to Labat and the other constitutional officers. The ordinance, attached to Labat’s lawsuit, says confusion was caused in the past when constitutional officers did not uniformly go through the county’s purchasing department and follow the code.

“The board of commissioners finds that it is in the best interest of the county that each constitutional officer utilize the purchasing department and the purchasing code for the acquisition of all goods and services,” the ordinance says.

The 2026 state legislative campaigns are underway ahead of next year’s elections, according to the AJC,

“For all practical purposes, the 2026 elections are underway,” said state Rep. Carolyn Hugley of Columbus, the Democratic leader in the Georgia House.

It takes 91 seats in the House to win the majority. Republicans currently hold 100 seats and have controlled the chamber since the GOP flipped it in 2004.

“House Republicans are laser-focused on building on our success from 2024 and expanding our majority in 2026,” House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said in a statement.

Three members were appointed by Bryan County to the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Bryan County Manager Ben Taylor, County Commissioner Gene Wallace and Marvin Daniel of Richmond Hill have been appointed to Post 1, Post 3 and Post 5, respectively.

Taylor’s term will run so long as he maintains the position as County Manager. Wallace and Daniel will each serve four-year terms.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed The Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority Act, or House Bill 763, May 1. In doing so, it enabled the county to establish an airport authority board.

State legislator Ron Stephens, who spearheaded the bill, said having board members who are familiar with the landscape of the county is significant.

“This board is starting from scratch,” said Stephens. “It’s important to have continuity between the taxing authorities involved.”

Trip Addison, vice president and treasurer for the Development Authority, told the Savannah Morning News in a previous interview that, “The Airport Authority will have bonding ability and they can decide how much they want to build based on what they can afford from a revenue perspective.”

Stephens went on to say he believes it will be several years before construction of the airport is complete.

“The idea that it’s going to take five years before it comes to fruition is a good thing,” said Stephens. “The feds will have to get involved, as well as the state. That will give the county time to plan and get its infrastructure together.”

Colquitt County Commissioners voted to adopt a proposed FY 2026 budget, according to the Moultrie Observer.

It is just over $26.4 million, which included an across-the-board increase for employees.

County employees — with the exception of constitutional officers, elected officials, and in-service retirees — will receive a $1 hourly increase, starting July 1. Dispatchers in the E-911 Department will receive an additional $1.50 increase, which includes a higher starting pay for new dispatchers.

The Volunteer Fire Department requested additional funding for its proposal to have Station 12 manned with full-time fire fighters.

“If that’s something we want to move forward with, we can put $1.25 million in the SSD (Special Services District) and move the remainder of the capital purchases we talked about and fund them like we did the Sheriff’s Office block of funds,” [City Manager Chas] Cannon said at a previous budget meeting.

He also said if they did this, they could roll back the SSD property tax for the first time in a few years. There was some surplus funding that would help augment the rollback, he said.

“So, bottom line, the SSD has sufficient funds to cover the proposal if agreed to by the board,” he added.

Cannon, who is also the area’s state representative, said legislators would work on making exempt any local government contracted service for fire services’ sales tax, in the next session of the Georgia General Assembly. He said the reason was that, if the VFA buys equipment for use for the County’s residents, they have to pay sales tax. This meant the County had to reimburse the sales tax.

“We’re sales tax exempt; why should we have to use tax-payer money to reimburse a sales tax item? It doesn’t make any sense, so we’re gonna try to get that taken care of,” said Cannon.

The Humane Society’s initial funding request was for $175,000, which, Cannon said, was an increase of $50,000 from last year’s budget.

“If the board would commit to a $25,000 increase, we will fund-raise the additional $25,000. We pledge to do that,” County Clerk Melissa Lawson, who is on the Humane Society’s board, told the commission at the final budget meeting.

The commissioners agreed to the $25,000 increase to bring the organization’s budget up to $150,000.

Cannon told the commissioners, at the end of a previous budget meeting, that if they granted all of the requests, the County budget would still be about $200,000 to the good.

“And that should give us adequate coverage. Coverage throughout the budget year, pending anything with health insurance or law suits or anything like that we’re not expecting. We have some money in contingency to cover some of that stuff. And then, if we get FLOST approved by the voters in November, that should help us off-set millage fairly well in 2027 and in 2028,” he said.

Brunswick City Commissioners voted to adopt a proposed budget for FY 2026, according to The Brunswick Times.

Set at $24.02 million, it is roughly 5% larger than the current fiscal year. The city operates on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next.

Much of the increase comes from new positions, extending Brunswick Municipal Court’s hours to allow for night courts and funding for the city’s new recreation and housing departments.

The higher budget is supported by a projected 10% increase in property values, a $400,000 increase in sales taxes, higher building permit revenue and municipal court fines. Property taxes make up about 30% of the city’s revenue, while sales taxes account for just under 50%. The remainder is from a variety of other revenue sources.

Also in the budget is a 3% raise for city employees and a 6% raise for city commissioners and mayor.

Macon-Bibb County Commissioners approved a proposed FY 2026 budget, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The Macon-Bibb County Board of Commission approved a budget of almost $219.8 million Tuesday night, which will fund the county from July 1 to June 30, 2026.

The budget remains largely unchanged from the proposed budget presented in May, with increases to salaries and benefits for county employees a priority, as well as more money for public safety, recreation, information technology and beautification.

Will taxes go up because of the budget increases?

No. A budget presentation Tuesday indicated the millage rate will remain at 9.9 — the millage rate determines property taxes.

This is unchanged from last year, and a decrease from four years ago, when the millage rate was about 20.3.

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller said the millage rate remaining low and stable is thanks to voters approving the Other Local Option Sales Tax as well as smarter spending and budgeting by county departments and officials.

“I’m proud of our departments for focusing their work on our community’s highest priorities and our budget and finance teams for getting them the funding they need,” Miller said in a statement Tuesday evening.

I’m not certain it’s accurate to say that property taxes will not rise despite the county adopting the same millage rate as was imposed for the last Fiscal Year. That’s because under Georgia law, if adoption of a millage rate increases government revenue due to valuation changes, that is considered a tax raise.

Flowery Branch City Council adopted an FY 2026 budget, according to AccessWDUN.

The Flowery Branch City Council has voted to approve a $15.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

The city’s revenue and expenditures rose nearly 41% from last year’s $11 million budget.

The millage rate will remain the same as the FY 2024 and 2025 budgets at 3.264. The tax impact on property owners will depend on property assessments, which can either increase or decrease property taxes.

The FY 2026 budget will go into effect on July 1.

The Glynn County Sheriff’s Office is using a new automated system for crime victim notifications, according to The Brunswick News.

Crime victims in Georgia have a right to know the status of the case against the person who is alleged to have committed the crime against them.

It is one of several rights written into state law known as the Georgia Crime Victims Bill of Rights.

The sheriff’s office recently started using VineLink, a website and mobile app that offers real-time, automatic alerts for victims about the status of the person accused in their case.

“It gives a crime victim the ability to review or receive the status of an inmate,” Sheriff Neal Jump said. “They can check one time or register to receive notifications in the way they choose when an inmate is released or transferred.”

He said victims are now notified at the time of arrest about VineLink and encouraged to sign up for the service. They can go online to VineLink.com or find the mobile app in their mobile device’s app store.

Columbia County District Attorney Bobby Christine has been nominated by President Trump to serve as United States Army Judge Advocate General, according to WJBF.

Christine is a Major General in the Army National Guard. He was called up to military service in February of this year, but has maintained his role as a district attorney for Columbia County.

His nomination has been referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Andrew Heath was named Deputy Commissioner of Transportation by the Georgia Department of Transportation, according to WTVM.

Heath now oversees more than half of the agency’s 4,000 employees and manages operations for the 10th largest transportation network in the country, with an annual budget topping $4 billion.

“Throughout his 17-year career at the Department, Andrew has consistently excelled and demonstrates passion and dedication for improving transportation in the state, his vast knowledge, expertise, and effective leadership will be an asset as we continue the work of building and maintaining an innovative, efficient and safe transportation network for the people and businesses of Georgia.” [said] GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry.

Hall County Senior Assistant County Attorney Justin Lawhon was named interim County Attorney, according to AccessWDUN.

Following the resignation of County Attorney Bill Linkous, Hall County has named Senior Assistant County Attorney Justin Lawhon as interim County Attorney.

Hall County Government officials said Lawhon will begin the role on July 21 and serve until a permanent replacement is named.

“Hall County is fortunate to have someone with Justin’s institutional knowledge and professional background step into this role during the transition period,” County Administrator Zach Propes said.

Linkous has worked in the Hall County Attorney’s Office since October 2021 and was named County Attorney in January 2023. His last day in the role will be July 18.

“We appreciate Bill’s leadership and legal expertise throughout his time with Hall County,” Propes said. “He has provided invaluable counsel to the Board of Commissioners and staff, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Columbus city council members voted to pay for the legal expenses of a city employee who was investigated but not charged in connection with her city employment, according to WTVM.

Human Resource Director Reather Hollowell hired her own attorney, and on Tuesday, that attorney asked for her legal fees to be covered by the city after she was never charged in the case. It was a talker at Tuesday’s council meeting at the City Service Center.

In the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office’s 118-page report, it stated Reather Hollowell was going to be charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer. In the end, Hollowell was not charged in the case. We spoke with District 8 Councilman Walker Garrett, who says a Georgia law requires the city to pay the legal fees of their employee if charges should have never been brought forward.

“When these fees come in at such a high level, it’s very concerning,” Councilman Byron Hickey expressed.

“This was unreasonable billing for not having a trial; $45,000 is excessive,” said Councilman Walker Garrett.

City councilors were debating whether to pay the legal fees that totaled out to be $47,000 for Reather Hollowell. Garrett says it’s cheaper to pay the fees than to appeal.

“I’m a lawyer as my full-time job with Morgan and Morgan, so I do this every day,” Garrett said. “I was trying to explain the cost to appeal this to the public courts and the better option would be to put this on the legislative agenda. Appeals cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and the law is pretty solid on this one.”

He says this is all under the Georgia Appellate, where the city is required to reimburse an employee if they are charged with a crime, but the charges should have never been brought up in the first place. Councilman Glenn Davis says the local policy may need to be adjusted to keep city employees from hiring a lawyer and then expecting the city to pay for it.

This measure passed with a six-to-four vote, but Walker Garrett told News Leader 9 earlier that going through the appeals process would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and he feels like that is not fair to the citizens.

From the Ledger-Enquirer:

These fees are in reference to legal services provided to Hollowell in connection with a recent the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office investigation, according to the meeting’s agenda. The MCSO has been investigating CCG’s finance department since January 2024.

Hollowell’s position had been listed in a letter from a local prosecutor describing an investigation into potential criminal conduct by CCG employees, the Ledger-Enquirer reported in August. But she hasn’t been charged.

The MCSO released its administrative report about the investigation last month. It recommended criminal charges against six officials, but the Towaliga Circuit District Attorney’s Office — which is prosecuting the cases after Chattahoochee Circuit DA Don Kelly recused himself — filed charges against only two of them:

Asked for his reaction to the council’s decision, Chuck Boring, Hollowell’s lawyer, told the Ledger-Enquirer, “I think that anyone who would dig in and look at the invoices, look at the work done over almost 10 months would see these are more than reasonable fees to protect somebody against an unauthorized and inappropriate investigation by a sheriff who was politically motivated.”

I expect this to be a hot topic in the coming years. Tift County Board of Education members discussed a policy on Artificial Intelligence, according to the Tifton Gazette.

Members of the county Board of Education reviewed the outline established for the school system’s stance on AI during their workshop meeting last week, aiming to integrate the system into their educational framework while preserving academic integrity and digital literacy.

Jonathan Judy, chief information officer for the school system’s Business and Operations department, explained that he had assembled a board of shareholders, including teachers, media specialists, and administrators to brainstorm the school system’s position on AI in response to an executive order filed by the president promoting AI education and integration into a learning environment.

Regarding student usage, Judy reported that the program would establish a tiered system of Red, Yellow, and Green for AI usage, based on the types of assignments the students would be working on.

The Green tier would allow free AI collaboration in the pursuit of enhancing learning and productivity in the form of personalized learning tools, language translation, or other forms of educational support. Yellow would establish AI’s permissibility on research projects or creative assignments, outlining how it could be used with teacher permission to assist but not replace student effort. Lastly, Red would lay out where AI usage was prohibited, such as on high-stakes assignments or those requiring original thought.

This system will also clarify the consequences for violations and establish the teacher’s responsibilities in determining the appropriate levels of classroom AI usage, providing clear instructions on its proper usage, and monitoring student application of AI tools, Judy stated.

He stressed the importance of properly educating Tift County students on ethical usage of AI so that the school would be able to ensure it was being used responsibly and could properly hold students accountable for violations.

Regarding the staff and faculty, Judy reported that the school system’s support staff would be working to determine how AI could be employed to increase efficiency and productivity, and planned to introduce more training opportunities for staff in the coming school year through programs like monthly lunchtime seminars for administrative office staff and summer training programs.