At the March 8, 2016 Board of Education Work Session meeting, Mr. Stan Edwards, District 1 representative, announced his resignation from the school board effective immediately following the meeting. He recently announced plans to run for the District One seat on the Newton County Board of Commission that will become vacant at the end of the year. Per Georgia law, he was required to resign from the Board of Education first.

Mr. Edwards thanked his fellow board members, Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey and her staff, and all school system employees for their support during his tenure.

“I was overwhelmed by the support and the help when I first came on board only 14 months ago,” said Edwards. “I was overwhelmed with the amount of professionalism, efficiency, and the work and the effort put forth for the kids by not only this board but also by Ms. Fuhrey and her staff and this whole building. That extends out to the schools, the administration, the teachers, and ultimately to the kids. I was just very impressed.”

He added, “I came to this board and I thought I was pretty smart. I was ready to save the educational world here but when I got here, I learned that I was the dumbest in the room. The school system and school board were already in great hands and headed in the right direction. If we could take this structure and overlay it at the courthouse we’d instantaneously flip our county 180.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Edwards notified Superintendent Fuhrey and the school board members of his plans.

“I believe I can better serve the school system and the county as the District One commissioner,” he explained. “I feel much more comfortable today about the future of the school system than I did several years ago and anyone with any knowledge of the system should feel the same.”

“We sincerely thank Mr. Edwards for his service to our school system,” said Fuhrey. “It was always clear that he based each and every decision he made on what he truly believed was in the best interest of our students.  Although his time on the school board was short, he made a positive impact on our school system and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

According to Fuhrey, the school board will soon vote to appoint a new District One representative to replace Mr. Edwards.