The Cartersville City Schools Board of Education met in regular session on Monday, April 17, 2023. Cartersville High School was the host for the meeting.
Stellar Performers
The Matthew Hill-Dean HEARTS Employee of the Month for April (Paraprofessional/Media Clerk) is Dawnee Andrews. Dawnee Andrews serves as the media clerk at Cartersville Middle School. Mrs. Andrews is exceptional. Students and faculty love her. She is always willing to help, no matter the issue. She fosters a love for reading by sharing book recommendations with students. She interacts with students and teachers in a very kind, patient, and respectful way. One of her nominators said, “When our classes visit the library, she goes above and beyond to interact with students, offering them her assistance. They enter feeling welcomed by her and leave looking forward to the next time they visit.”
New Frontier of Bartow County, Inc. proudly sponsors the Hill-Dean HEARTS Employee of the Month Award and will receive a $50 gift card to Texas Roadhouse, along with name added to the perpetual plaque displayed at the Cartersville School Board Office.
Linda Benton Students of the Month
The CPS Student of the Month is Renata Castaneda. Renata is a student in Mrs. Evan’s second grade class and shows perseverance by working hard and giving 100% effort in all she does. She always tries her best, even when things get difficult. Renata maintains a positive attitude and never gives up. She loves to help other students who might be struggling. She serves on the Tech Expert Squad and helps kindergarteners in the STEAM lab. She is a great example of perseverance by overcoming obstacles and never giving up.
The CES Student of the Month is Samuel Abeja. Samuel shows perseverance each and every day. His fourth grade teachers said, “He always pushes forward to do all things to the best of his ability. He gives extra effort each and every day and continues to push through and complete any task set before him. Samuel has worked extra hard this school year and has made huge growth in his academics all because of his strong ability to persevere and never give up!” We are proud of him for showing others how to work hard and be a purple Hurricane!
The CMS Student of the Month is Caden McMullin. Caden is an excellent student who excels in the classroom and in all extracurricular activities. Caden plays multiple sports and is also a member of the cast for the upcoming musical theater production. While Caden excels at many things, his
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consistent kindness to his peers and adults is what truly sets him apart. The CHS Student of the Month is Ariana Gray. Ariana was nominated by Coach Knight for her hard work ethic and positive attitude, which is reflected in her grades. She is a great student, a strong leader in our JROTC program, and serves as a positive role model for other students.
Cartersville City Schools 2024 Teachers of the Year
Mrs. Ansley Choate is the Cartersville Primary School Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Choate was selected as the CPS teacher of the year for so many reasons, but mostly due to the dedication, time, commitment and the heart she has for the precious students she teaches. Mrs. Choate works tirelessly to ensure that her students receive the best of everything at school and home. She celebrates the big and small moments with them daily. This includes walking, talking and so many life skills that so many of us take for granted. Not only does she go over and beyond with her students, but she is always there for her colleagues as well. She never thinks twice about dropping what she is doing to help someone out. CPS is fortunate to have Mrs. Choate as a part of the CPS faculty. Ms. Natalie Carr is the Cartersville Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Natalie is willing to help any person at any given time! She is dedicated to her students, their learning, growth, and building relationships with all students. The students adore coming to see her and want to share special things that have happened with her…She reflects what a teacher of the year is and constantly shows others how to be a Hurricane! Ms. Kaitlyn Thornton is the Cartersville Middle School Teacher of the Year. Ms. Thornton is a tremendous instructor and mentor for students at CMS. Her excitement for theater and students is evident in her classroom, on the stage, and in the hallway. Her classroom and theater performances support students and are a model for middle school theater instruction. Ms. Leslie Nix is the Cartersville High School Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Nix is a wonderful teacher. As we all know, teachers must wear many hats each day to help their students be successful. Teachers are required to be content experts while playing the role of a counselor and while often serving as a parental figure. Mrs. Nix is the best at balancing all of these roles. Not only do her students receive a quality education, but they are also welcomed to a nurturing environment when they enter her classroom where their social and emotional needs are met, and most importantly, her students enter a classroom where they know they are loved. Mrs. Nix also supports her students outside of the classroom by attending extra-curricular events and by supporting them on the field of play or on the stage when performing in our Fine Arts programs. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Nix as a teacher at Cartersville High School. She truly lives by Cartersville’s “Our Heart Is In It” motto.
Recognition of Coach Darrell Demastus:
Athletic Director for Cartersville High School, Coach Darrell Demastus, recently attended the Georgia Athletics Directors Conference in Savannah, GA. We are proud to recognize him for winning the Region 7-5A Athletic Director of the Year and Athletic Director of the Year for the entire state of Georgia. This is a well-deserved honor and we are grateful for the hard work he puts in to the Athletic department as well as the dedication to our students at Cartersville High School. Congratulations Coach Demastus!
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In Business, the agenda was adopted, and the System Financial and Utility Cost and Usage for February were presented and approved.
CPS iPad Purchase The Board approved the purchase of 150 iPads for Cartersville Primary School in the amount of $70,950.00 from Apple, Inc. This project will upgrade the Kindergarten iPads. This is sole source education pricing with Apple, Inc and will be paid from SPLOST.
New CPS AV Systems Purchase The Board approved the purchase and installation of three AV Systems for the New Cartersville Primary School from Presidio Networked Solutions located in Atlanta, GA. This purchase will be from the Georgia State Contract and will be paid from SPLOST. – Cartersville Primary Media Center AV in the amount of $69,157.17. – Cartersville Primary Cafeteria Stage AV in the amount of $78,028.82. – Cartersville Primary Gym AV in the amount of $72,790.58.
CES iPad Purchase The Board approved the purchase of 30 iPads for Cartersville Elementary in the amount of $14,190.00 from Apple, Inc. This is sole source education pricing with Apple, Inc and will be paid from local CES funds.
CMS Laptop Purchase The Board approved the purchase of 100 Dell Laptops for Cartersville Middle School in the amount of $107,100.00 from Dell. This project will upgrade the Faculty and Staff laptops. This is purchased from the Georgia State Contract and will be paid from SPLOST.
CES Playground Surface Proposal The Board approved for Trammell Lawn Care, LLC, Cedartown, GA to spread dirt, laser grade field, rock rake and add Hydro Seed to 19,200 sq. ft. of the CES playground area and remove 3 playground structures in the amount of $11,925.00. This will be paid for from SPLOST.
CMS Practice Field Proposal
The Board approved for Trammell Lawn Care, LLC, Cedartown, GA to spread dirt, laser grade field, rock rake and add Hydro Seed to 82,000 sq. ft. in the amount of $21,000.00. This will be paid for from SPLOST.
CHS Furniture Purchase The Board approved the purchase of furniture for Cartersville High School from Ernie Morris Enterprises, Inc, located in Bushnell, FL in the amount of $154,655.46. This is coming from TIPS Contract #200301 and will be paid for from SPLOST.
District By Design Agreement 2023-2024 The Board approved the District by Design 2023-2024 Agreement between The Flippen Group, L.L.C., College Station, Texas and Cartersville City Schools. This agreement provides training sessions, follow-up support with on-site visits in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024 and ongoing support to staff who complete Capturing Kid’s Hearts 1 for a total package cost of $51,300.00. This will be paid for from Esser funds.
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Consent items approved:
GSBA Delegate: Mr. Tim Chason will represent the Cartersville School Board at the 2023 GSBA Summer Conference and Delegate Assembly June 9-10, 2023 in Savannah, Georgia.
Facility Rental Request: The Board approved for Tsunami Volleyball to use the Storm Center Gym and the Linda Benton STEM Building Gym for a 1-day tournament on Saturday, April 15th from 7am-6pm. The rental fees are waived in lieu of Tsunami giving $1500 to Athletics, $500 to the Volleyball Booster Club, $450 to the Tournament Director and paying the custodians at their rate. Tsunami Volleyball will also be providing gate workers and security.
Overnight/Out-of-State Trip Request(s): The Board approved for the CHS FBLA to travel to the GA FBLA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA June 27, 2023 – July 1, 2023.
Surplus: Several surplus items were approved. Additionally, CPS and Kids and Company PreK were approved a blanket surplus for items that will not be moved from their current locations to the New Primary School in Carter Grove.
Committee Recommendations approved:
Building and Grounds:
-The following rental requests were approved:
Crosspoint City Church to use the CES parking lot during its Easter Gatherings on Saturday, April 8th and Sunday, April 9th, 2023 for volunteers to park each day from 2:00pm – 9:00pm.
The following personnel recommendations were approved:
Resignations -Hannah Abbott, CPS Parapro, effective March 17, 2023 -Allan Early, Bus Driver, effective March 24, 2023 -Ryan Crawford, CMS Parapro, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Elizabeth Holmes, CHS Parapro, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Kelly Gayton, CPS Speech Language Pathologist, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Amber Holley, CMS Speech Language Pathologist, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Janneakea Ball, CPS Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Renee Dittmer, CPS Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Brandi Stewart, CES Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Tracy Queen, CES Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Nicole Woodard, CHS Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Holland Liddell, CPS Teacher, effective end of 2022-23 school year -Charles Sluder, CPS Parapro, effective end of 2022-23 school year
Certified Personnel -Jonathan Daniell, CHS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Carsyn Bagwell, CHS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Keisha Fulton, CMS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Jennifer Williams, CHS Chorus Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Nicole Willingham, CPS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Kylie Taylor, CPS Speech Language Pathologist, effective 2023-24 school year -Brianna Castle, CPS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Carli LeJeune, CHS Theatre Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year
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-Stephanie Cashion, CMS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year -Celeste Jones, CPS Teacher, effective 2023-24 school year
Classified Personnel -Grace Barnette, Parapro, CPS, effective 2023-24 school year -Allison Brown, Parapro, CPS, effective 2023-24 school year -Stefanie Collins, Parapro, CPS, effective 2023-24 school year -Terry Fisk, Bus Driver, effective 2023-24 school year -Pamela Dupree, Bus Monitor, effective 2023-24 school year
Promotion/Transfer -Anne Sheffield, CPS Bookkeeper, effective 2023-24 school year -Stacey Hubbard, CPS Receptionist, effective 2023-24 school year
The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting is set for Monday, May 8, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Cartersville City Schools Central Office.

Press Release