It is no secret that our nation has faced unprecedented challenges over the course of the last several days. I would like to take notice of how the Hall County School District and our community have recognized these challenges as an opportunity. 

Our 3,500 team members have responded to the recent public health crisis with incredible innovation. Because of the hard work and dedication of our team members in Teaching and Learning, Technology, Nutrition, Transportation, Facilities, and others, our 27,000 students continue to learn, continue to receive meals, continue to receive rigorous instruction, and overall, continue to function as closely to normal as current conditions will allow.

I want to thank parents for their extraordinary flexibility, patience and understanding during this time of opportunity. 

I want to encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to continue learning by working hard each day and completing your school work so that you will be prepared to hit the ground running once you return to campus. 

Teachers are some of the most creative people. I want to thank our teachers for finding even more creative ways to provide instruction to your students. No one wrote a playbook for a time like this. The state and federal government have not provided a school from home curriculum for you to follow. What we have experienced the last few days has 100% been a product of Hall County Schools’ innovative staff.

On Friday I had the opportunity to go on a bus route from White Sulphur Elementary and help deliver meals and books to students. The smiles on the faces of our students, who were so excited to see their bus driver, school staff and receive meals and books was incredibly heartwarming. The smiles of the school staff were equally comforting. The logistics of serving 17,000 meals - and books - in a period of a few hours is an awe-inspiring operation. In Hall County we are blessed with Heroes who begin their work many hours before sunrise for little pay and no recognition. I want to take this opportunity to turn our spotlight on our loving, hardworking, dedicated and essential members of the School Nutrition and Transportation departments. These are the heroes that keep our schools running smoothly on a daily basis.

The events of the last week have confirmed to me that we are indeed members of the best community in the world. Witnessing our team’s immediate embrace of this new opportunity has made me prouder than I have ever been of Hall County. 

Today, our responsibility to embrace each challenge we face as an opportunity to be the Most Caring Place on Earth continues, and is on display for the world to see. 

I want you to know that I am praying for you, I am praying for Hall County Schools, and I look forward to seeing our students and staff return to school, parents return to work and our community return to normal as quickly as possible.

Your friend,

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