PROG 2024: LCS Update

Published 3:31 pm Monday, March 18, 2024

The past year has been a year of change, growth, and success for the Lowndes County School District.

The Lowndes County School Board named Sandra Wilcher, an established system leader, as superintendent in December 2023. Wilcher has 24 years of public education experience in the Lowndes County School System, bringing a wealth of experience as a dedicated member of the One Lowndes Family, who has served as an administrator since 2009. She has worked closely with all schools in the district, the system said in a press release. Wilcher most recently served as the system’s assistant superintendent of student services, overseeing a comprehensive portfolio that included special education, public relations, central registration, school resource officers, and student support.

Schools also earned high praise this year. Pine Grove Elementary School was named an Advancing Achievement School by the Georgia Department of Education in recognition of advancing achievement to meet the exit criteria for federal identification for the 2019-2022 period. They were awarded in the summer of 2023. Additionally, the Hahira Middle School Future Farmers of America FFA chapter was named a national 3-Star Chapter, the highest rating possible. Students including Chloe Staten, Noelia Hansford, Milly McClain, Harper Graham, Lucy McClain, Lydia Fletcher, and FFA Advisor Kristen Thomas received the award at the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo held in early November in Indianapolis, Indiana. Also, as a whole, the Lowndes County School District won the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders Vision Award. The Vision Award recognizes school districts committed to encouraging and supporting teachers, principals, and district office staff in professional learning.

Student successes included brothers Aarav and Aarin Dave, of Hahira Middle School and Lowndes High, respectively, who won the congressional App Challenge for the 8th district with their App ICUSpeak. The ICUSpeak app helps post-surgery patients, who are usually too weak and unable to speak, to communicate with doctors, nurses, staff, and more. The app communicates with a device with various buttons that patients can press to select the phrases they want to convey. This is Aarin and Aarav’s second time winning the Congressional App Challenge as a team. They won for their school safety app Safeology the previous year.

The Lowndes County School District’s planning for the coming months is focused on growth. The district is excited to break ground on the new Lake Park Elementary School soon.