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Please check out the September edition of our CCSD Connections newsletter online here to learn more about our work to become the highest performing school district in Georgia! Thank you to our newsletter sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia, a CCSD Partner. #CCSDElevateTheExcellence 

"This is a celebration our community can join in. When our students succeed, our schools succeed, and when our schools succeed, our community succeeds!" The work we have undertaken to align our vision from the boardroom to the classroom and to shift more funding than ever before from the central office into our classrooms is producing an incredible return on investment for our community.

The Cherokee County School Board, at its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, heard a report on students’ outstanding state assessment performance, learned about schools’ improvement plans for this school year, and reviewed enhancements to school safety and security.

Our students’ performance has increased to new heights as our School Board’s laser focus on teaching and learning continues to elevate the excellence!  Georgia Milestones Assessment results released this week show an increase in 9 of 13 performance areas compared to 2025.  Our students not only continue to outperform state averages in all tested areas for an 11th consecutive year, they also surged even further ahead with double-digit margins over state performance in 11 of 13 areas!

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, heard the annual back-to-school readiness report showcasing preparations for the return of teachers and students, approved a five-year community-inspired strategic plan and authorized the Education-SPLOST renewal project list up for a community vote this fall.

The Cherokee County School District today celebrated the winners of the fifth annual Transportation Employee of the Year Awards, recognizing the best among our talented and dedicated team of school bus drivers.  Congratulations to this year’s overall winner, Creekview Zone driver Liz Rider, who is starting her 40th school year with CCSD!

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2026, took the next step toward adopting a five-year community-inspired strategic plan including projects to be funded by the proposed renewal of the Education-SPLOST.

Feedback from parents, employees, students, and community members informed the Elevate 2032 long-range strategic plan and the 1% Ed-SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) project list presented to the Board on Thursday.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2026!  You now can see the names of our graduating seniors on our website at https://tinyurl.com/CCSD2026

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026, reviewed the success of this year’s Key Priorities action steps to further elevate the excellence of the school district. The School Board also heard a report on continued progress to open the Cherokee High School replacement campus on time and within budget, including the City of Canton’s plans for traffic improvements. 

The Cherokee County School District honored retiring employees as legends for their dedication to ensuring our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more here than they can anywhere else!  The CCSD Retiring Legends Reception and Recognition Ceremony celebrated 156 retiring employees, including teachers, support staff and administrators.  

This post is to inform you that Instructure, the vendor for our Canvas learning management system, has experienced a cybersecurity incident.  We are stopping all access to Canvas until further notice.  Accounts in school district and university partners are receiving pushed notifications into the platform.  Please do not access these notices.

Reminder: Our school district has increased safety for students and bus drivers by installing cameras on school bus stop-arms and the 30-day citation warning period has closed.  Beginning Monday, May 4, 2026, drivers identified as illegally passing a stopped school bus actively loading or unloading students will be issued a $1,000 citation by mail. 

CCSD Media Specialist of the Year Kim George of Mill Creek Middle School is the Georgia Library Media Association’s North Central GA Region Library Media Specialist of the Year!  She now advances to the state competition, with the statewide winner to be named at the association’s summer conference.

The Cherokee County School District continues to stand out as a model of excellence in financial leadership, once again earning top recognition from the world’s leading credit rating agencies!  This achievement reaffirms the School Board’s long-standing commitment to strong, responsible financial governance that directly benefits students, staff, and community.

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, April 23, 2026, unanimously approved a budget for next school year that invests more funds closer to the classroom than ever before and without increasing the historic low millage rate. The Board also adjusted school calendars for the next two school years to identify early release days for parent-teacher conferences in response to feedback from teachers and parents for more time dedicated to communication about student academic progress.

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!  The administrative professionals in our schools and district offices provide critically important support in our mission to be the highest-performing school district in Georgia.  

The Cherokee County School District again earned an outstanding four-star rating from the state’s financial efficiency accountability system!  The Financial Efficiency Star Ratings report school districts’ return on taxpayer investment, by comparing spending per student to student academic performance as measured by the state’s College and Career Ready Performance Index.  

The Cherokee County School District’s 2026 Teacher of the Year heard the call to teach during his military service and now serves his community as an educator … congratulations to Bobby Mayo Wiggins II, Cherokee High School’s Career Pathway carpentry and construction teacher!

The Cherokee County School District is increasing safety for students and bus drivers by installing cameras on school bus stop-arms.  All school buses now will be equipped with the cameras to identify drivers who illegally pass buses that are stopped and actively loading or unloading students. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026, adopted the tentative budget for next school year, which invests more than ever in resources positively impacting students, teachers and support staff, and school safety and security, without increasing the historic low millage rate.

The Cherokee County School District tonight celebrated outstanding school volunteers and business and community partners and their valued role in our mission to become the highest-performing school district in Georgia!

More than 115,000 educators teach in Georgia’s public schools, and a Cherokee County School District teacher is officially one of the 10 best!  Today, Dr. Lisa Spence, art teacher for Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy, was surprised with the announcement she is a Top 10 finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, heard reports of work already underway to prepare for next school year, including investing in more competitive pay for teachers and support staff, opening the new replacement Cherokee High School on time and within budget, and allocating resources to ensure every middle school student has access to a laptop computer as the first step in expanding access for all students. 

“It is the talent of classroom teachers, leaders and support staff coupled with a School Board laser focused on student learning that creates the perfect formula for achieving top results in CCSD,” Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis said about our school district’s record high score on Georgia’s College and Career Ready Performance Index statewide accountability system. 

The Cherokee County School District today celebrated the important role of support staff at its Eighth Annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards!  The celebration, which this year was presented as a luncheon for the first time, honored one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, reviewed plans to further improve safety and security, including the planned installation of bus stop-arm cameras to catch drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.  The board also reviewed the latest independent audit of CCSD’s finances, which marks the 12th consecutive year of clean audit reports with no findings. 

Congratulations to our 2026 School Teachers of the Year winners! Each school year, every CCSD school’s teachers and staff are asked to select a Teacher of the Year for their school.  These school-level winners now are eligible for the honor of Cherokee County School District 2026 Teacher of the Year.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, reviewed progress on the district’s Key Priorities, which drive CCSD’s work as an organization, and approved the stadium and athletic complex naming for the new replacement Cherokee High School.

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, reviewed student performance successes including the recently released College and Career Ready Performance Index scores, which showed CCSD’s highest scores ever and impressive gains.

The Cherokee County School District, in honor of today’s National Educational Support Professionals Day, is celebrating the school and division winners of its annual Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards! 

The Cherokee County School District earned its highest scores ever on the state’s College and Career Ready Performance Index with impressive gains across all levels – elementary, middle, and high.  Most notable in this year’s results are the gains in Progress, the CCRPI measure that indicates the rate of learning growth in CCSD compared to academically similar students across the state. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, reviewed student performance successes including the recently released SAT and ACT scores and graduation rate. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, reviewed financial management and construction reports and appointed two new district leaders.

The Cherokee County School District’s newly formed Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council provides educators with the opportunity to share valued feedback. Through a series of roundtable meetings, Council members will provide Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis with professional insights to support CCSD’s mission to become the highest-performing school district in Georgia. 

The Cherokee County School District’s performing arts programs are taking the stage for a new season!  All CCSD schools, as well as the districtwide Academy Street Theatre Group program for elementary through high school students, present a variety of performances throughout the school year.  Performing arts programs, which vary per grade level and school, include band, chorus, orchestra and theatre.  Thank you to our talented and dedicated performing arts teachers, our sponsors and volunteers, and our School Board for its longtime support of our program!

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, celebrated student performance by recognizing each school’s successes on the statewide Georgia Milestones Assessment and progress made on the School Board’s student performance goals.  The board also reviewed progress on district improvements underway this school year and honored a late Principal’s legacy with the naming of a playground in her honor.

As we begin the new school year, we ask all drivers to please remember the rules of the road when encountering school buses, bus stops and school zones:  

Class Act, the Cherokee County School District's award-winning magazine, will come home with students the first week of school, giving parents an overview of what's new for this school year.  You can enjoy the digital version now online here. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, July 24, 2025, heard the annual back-to-school readiness report, highlighting how district and school staff have prepared for the return of students, and the semi-annual Safety & Security report, outlining further enhancements completed for this school year.

The Cherokee County School District today congratulated the winners of the fourth annual Transportation Employee of the Year Awards, recognizing the best among its talented and dedicated team of school bus drivers.  The awards recognize an outstanding school bus driver from each Innovation Zone (high school and feeder middle and elementary schools) and one from CCSD’s team of Special Education drivers; from this group, one overall CCSD winner is selected.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting and work session on Thursday, June 12, 2025, heard a report on efforts to further improve teaching and learning for next school year and appointed new school and district leaders.

The Cherokee County School Board met for a brief called meeting on Thursday, May 21, 2025, to appoint additional staff for next school year, including two new leaders.

Congratulations to our Class of 2025!  You can see the names of our graduating seniors now on our website at https://tinyurl.com/CCSDClassof2025.

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, May 15, 2025, reviewed the Superintendent’s final year-one report and planned focus areas for 2025-26 school year, the findings of the school district’s audits this past year, and appointed new school and district leaders.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, April 17, 2025, approved the Superintendent’s recommended budget for next school year, which holds the millage rate steady while raising teacher and support staff pay and increasing funds for classroom resources.  The board also approved updated teaching and learning standards for next school year and its first-ever literacy policy and appointed several new principals and other leaders.

The Cherokee County School District saluted educators tonight at the 2025 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration and Dr. Lisa Spence of Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy was named CCSD’s Teacher of the Year!  The Legacy Makers event held at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton honored the Teacher of the Year for every CCSD school.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 20, 2025 reviewed the Superintendent’s recommended budget for next school year, which invests more funding in teachers and resources that directly support student learning, while holding the millage rate steady.

The Cherokee County School District celebrates outstanding school volunteers and business and community partners and their valued role in our mission to become the highest-performing school district in Georgia!  The annual CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Recognition Ceremony honored a Partner of the Year and a Volunteer of the Year for each individual school and center.  The evening included the surprise announcement of the CCSD Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year selected from that pool of honorees.  

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, continued preparations for approving its budget for next school year, including hearing a state funding update, and accepted the resignation of a longtime board member.

The Cherokee County School District this evening celebrated the swearing in of the Cherokee County School Board’s new chair and two re-elected board members.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 began reviewing budget priorities for next school year, including options for maintaining competitive salaries for teachers and support staff.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday reviewed the funding outlook for next school year and approved a new governance policy.

Cherokee County School District students topped state averages and improved performance on math sections of the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests, mirroring the success achieved in other subjects announced this summer.

Given the heartbreaking tragedy at Apalachee High School and uneasy atmosphere we have navigated in the days since, Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis gave a video report, during her welcome, on the state of safety and security in our school district at tonight’s School Board meeting.

It is with a heavy heart that I send this message this evening following the horrific and tragic events at Apalachee High School in Barrow County today.  As the Superintendent of the Cherokee County School District, there is nothing that I think more about each day than the safety and security of our students and our staff, and I am heartbroken to think about the devastation experienced by the Barrow community and shared by our entire state of Georgia.

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, reviewed the school district’s Georgia Milestones Assessment Performance Review report, a new level in accountability reporting introduced this school year by the Superintendent of Schools.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, June 20, approved its budget for next school year, which provides salary improvements to teachers and support staff while maintaining the same tax rate.  The school board also adopted consistent guidance for student dress and appropriate cell phone use for elementary, middle, and high school students to take effect as we start the 2024-25 school year.

Get Ready for Back to School with CCSD’s New ParentVUE … the parent portal for our new student information system, where you can update emergency contact info, track absences and more!

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday heard a report from Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis on her key priorities and recommended balanced budget for next school year, with a focus on elevating the excellence of academics and achievement for all students and improving employee compensation to retain the best educators possible.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday heard a presentation from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Elizabeth Davis on her progress over the past month in the new role.  The school board also approved new school assistant principals for next school year.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 21, 2024 heard a presentation from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Elizabeth Davis on her first two full weeks in the new role.  The school board also approved new school leaders for next school year and heard updates on new school construction projects. 

Mary Elizabeth Davis today began her service to Cherokee County as our new Superintendent of Schools.
 
True to her 100-day plan’s mission -- “Listen to understand, Lean-in to remember, and Learn to Lead” – Mary Elizabeth spent her first day visiting schools and meeting students, teachers and support staff, families and business and community partners. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting tonight, Feb. 15, 2024, voted to officially hire Dr. Mary Elizabeth Davis as the county’s next Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Davis currently serves as Superintendent of Schools for Henry County.  You can learn more about her extensive experience as an educator and leader online here.  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower last fall announced he planned to retire this spring after nearly 40 years in education, including eight years in his current role.        

The Cherokee County School Board at a special called meeting tonight, Jan. 31, 2024, announced a sole finalist to serve as the county’s next Superintendent of Schools.  The school board voted to announce Dr. Mary Elizabeth Davis as the sole finalist to begin leading the school district.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, heard updates on the current state legislative session and how the proposed state budget and legislation may impact school operations.

The Cherokee County School Board at its called meeting Wednesday evening adopted the Superintendent’s recommendation to award employee bonuses this month. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, heard plans by the Superintendent of Schools to return school custodial services to in-house operations for next school year.  The school board also approved the Woodstock HS classroom addition construction contract, named Dr. Chad Flatt as the new principal for Freedom Middle School beginning Jan. 8 as Principal Whitney Nolan is stepping down and appointed Adam Holley as the new head football coach for Cherokee High School.  

The Cherokee County School District continues to exceed state averages for overall college and career readiness.

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023 meeting reviewed how anticipated state legislation will impact next year’s budget for school operations.

CCSD is in the process of welcoming 30 new additions to its bus fleet, with new vehicles being delivered that will offer more safety features for its drivers and passengers while allowing the oldest buses in the fleet to be taken out of service. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 heard an update on its search for the next superintendent of schools.  The school board earlier this month voted to contract with the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) for its support services to aid in the search.  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower on Sept. 1 announced his plans to retire at the end of this school year.

The CCSD Connections monthly newsletter is designed for CCSD parents, but we know there are many people in our community who like to keep us with our school district’s news.  

The Cherokee County School Board at its meeting on Thursday, April 20, 2023 approved the appointment of a new Cherokee High School principal and improvements to the driveway and parking for Creekview High School and Creekland Middle School.