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Two Cherokee County School Districts students achieved Eagle Scout this fall!  Congratulations to: Sequoyah High School senior Johnathan Miller of Troop 8880 and Woodstock High School senior Myles Trudeau of Troop 241!  

The Holly Springs Optimist Club today honored eight CCSD students, along with an outstanding teacher and a paraprofessional at its annual High School Awards breakfast, which recognizes outstanding special needs students and their supportive teachers and staff. 

Thirteen Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named National Merit Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation!  The seniors are among the only 2 to 3% of the Class of 2025 honored nationwide with the recognition, which is based on outstanding PSAT scores, and CCSD’s total increased from eight honorees last year.  

Ten Cherokee County School District students have been selected by College Board to serve as its ambassadors!  They are among the 9,000 high school students, chosen based on their applications from candidates nationwide, selected to help their peers learn about tools and opportunities for college preparation success.

It’s National Bus Safety Week and CCSD Bus Driver Appreciation Week!  Our talented and dedicated team of school bus drivers carry the most precious cargo each day to help our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else. 

Two Cherokee County School District students have been named to the State School Superintendent’s 2025-26 Student Advisory Council!  Sequoyah High School senior Sebastian Murillo and Etowah High School junior Allegra Panga are among the 79 high school students from across the state selected for the prestigious role.  

The Cherokee County School District reached new heights with 1,500 current students and Class of 2025 graduates earning national 2025 Advanced Placement (AP) awards!  The AP awards program each fall recognizes an elite group of high school students from across the country who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on multiple AP exams the previous school year.  

Today, we continued a new series of work sessions with the Student Delegates to the School Board.  Prior to every School Board meeting, the group of high school seniors representing each of CCSD’s high schools meet with the Superintendent’s senior staff to learn more about district operations and career opportunities offered by each division. 

The Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2025 ACT scores increased and topped national and state averages!  The class earned an outstanding 22.8 average, up from 22.5 last year and exceeding Georgia’s 21.4 (up from 21.2) and the Nation’s 19.4 steady average on the competitive college entrance and placement examination, according to a report released today by the Georgia Department of Education.

The College Board has honored Cherokee County School District students with National Recognition Programs Awards for exceptional academic achievement!

The Cherokee County School District Class of 2026 graduation ceremony dates have been set!

Cherokee County School District’s SAT scores for the Class of 2025 increased and continue to top national and statewide results!  The CCSD Class of 2025 earned an average total score of 1085 on the curriculum-based college entrance and placement exam, according to results released today by the College Board.  The 2025 score is an increase from 1083 in 2024 and further widens CCSD’s margin over the national public school average by 89 points and the state by 56 points.  

The Cherokee County School District’s graduation rate for the Class of 2025 topped the state average, with three schools exceeding 95%!  The CCSD four-year graduation rate is 91.8%, according to a new report from the Georgia Department of Education released today, exceeding the state average of 87.2% by nearly 5%.

Today, we kicked off a new series of work sessions with the Student Delegates to the School Board.  Prior to every meeting, from October through May, the group of high school seniors representing each of CCSD’s high schools will meet with the Superintendent’s senior staff to learn more about district operations and career opportunities offered by each division.  For today’s session, School Board members met with the Delegates to talk about their role as leaders and their decision to serve.  A high-performing school district begins with a high-performing school board! 

The Cherokee County School District recognizes two outstanding high school student athletes each month.  Congratulations to this month’s winners: Female Athlete of the Month Peyton Grummer of Sequoyah High School for cheerleading, whose coach is Ashlyn Grummer; and Male Athlete of the Month Zeke Douglass of Etowah High School for football, whose head coach is Brett Vavra.  

This year it’s easier than ever to support CCSD high school athletic teams, bands and JROTCs … while buying chances to win a Jeep Wrangler! Thanks to the longtime partnership of Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton, which donates the Jeep, the annual raffle fundraiser is continuing -- with the improved format of online raffle ticket sales.

Eight Cherokee County School District high school seniors today were named 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists!  They are: of Cherokee High School, Grace Dai, Andrew Lockwood, and Ian Zeller; of Creekview High School, Levi Cone; of Etowah High School, Dylan Fallin; and of Sequoyah High School, Matthew Chemmala, and Riley O'Neill.  Congratulations to our honored students and their teachers and thank you to our School Board for its investment in ensuring our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else!

The Cherokee County School Board this week will recognize its new class of Student Delegates!  Student Delegates to the School Board serve for one school year to give input and feedback to the School Board and Superintendent of Schools. 

Are you ready for some football?  And softball, volleyball, cross-country, flag football and competition cheer?  Our high school varsity football season kicks off with our first regular games Friday night, and several other fall sports already are underway.  

Twenty-six Cherokee County School District high school rising juniors and seniors are spending this summer as student researchers through a partnership with Georgia’s National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center!  Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, a CCSD Partner, made the student research positions available through its role as the Georgia Science Education Initiative’s National Cancer Institute GA YES (Youth Enjoy Science) Program site.

Ten Cherokee County School District students recently were honored for their outstanding artwork!  The students were selected by local arts businesses and organizations to receive prizes in recognition of their exceptional entries into the CCSD Festival of the Arts held this spring in downtown Woodstock.

Cherokee County School District students won gold in the statewide Summer Special Olympics!  Cherokee County Special Olympics’ soccer team earned gold and student athletes earned individual gold medals in cheer, flag football, soccer, swimming, and track competitions at the 2025 State Summer Games recently held at Emory University.

Three Cherokee County School District Class of 2025 graduates have earned National Merit college-awarded scholarships!  River Ridge High School graduates Maja Amelia Brooker and Kevin Duncan both were awarded the National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship, and Sequoyah High School graduate Robert Raymer was awarded the National Merit University of Alabama Scholarship.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, we’re celebrating a school 2025 Teacher of the Year each day!  English teacher Dr. Cathy Murphy, a 27-year educator, is the Teacher of the Year for Sequoyah High School!

Two Cherokee County School District student athletes have earned Positive Athlete Georgia statewide scholarship awards!  Positive Athlete Georgia organization, which promotes the benefits of positivity to young athletes around the world, presents annual awards to outstanding high school student athletes and awards scholarships with business and community partners.

Five Cherokee County School District student artists earned honors in a countywide competition!  The annual Cherokee County High School Art Competition, sponsored by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, the school district and other partners, is open to all CCSD high school students. 

Four Cherokee County School District students placed in the state’s top student architecture career skills competition!  The Atlanta American Institute of Architects High School Design Competition is considered the most prestigious competition in the state for high school architecture students.  

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The Cherokee County School District and School Board celebrated the Class of 2025 Valedictorians and Salutatorians at its 24th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet.  The special event on Wednesday evening was attended by the Scholars and their parents; the teacher each scholar chose as the most influential in his or her education; CCSD’s high school Principals; Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis and her senior staff; and the School Board.

Members of Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2025 have committed to military service, including graduating seniors selected for prestigious U.S. Service Academies! Congratulations and thank you to our CCSD Class of 2025 graduates who have committed to military service through service academies, other college military programs, or enlisting!  Thank you to their families and thank you to our School Board for its support of our Junior ROTC programs!

Congratulations to the valedictorians and salutatorians for the Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2025! These outstanding students and their parents will be honored by the School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet later this week.  

The Cherokee County School District’s Student Advisor and Student Delegates to the School Board gathered this afternoon for their last roundtable meeting with Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis. One outstanding high school senior from each of CCSD’s high schools serves as a delegate for one school year to give input and feedback to the School Board and to the Superintendent. Their valued feedback influenced success this school year and led to planned improvements to the Delegate program for next school year.

Four Cherokee County School District Class of 2025 graduating seniors have earned $25,000 college scholarships from a community foundation!  It is the sixth year of the annual college scholarships presented by the Jason T. Dickerson Family Foundation to graduating CCSD seniors planning a career in veterinary medicine.  The Class of 2025 winners are: Ava Rose Dixon of Cherokee HS, Makayla Farrell of Sequoyah HS, Searlait Frey of Creekview HS, and Jorianna Teutsch of Cherokee HS!  

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating graduating seniors who plan to pursue careers in skilled professions!  The District joined Be Pro Be Proud Georgia, the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative, Cherokee Office of Economic Development, and Chattahoochee Technical College this week to present the annual Skilled Professions Signing Day event held in downtown Woodstock at the Arts Center.  

Cherokee County School District’s high schools have earned the state’s top honors for outstanding Advanced Placement programs and performance!  All six of CCSD’s traditional high schools today were named 2025 AP Honor Schools for exceptional student performance and participation on AP exams, which offer students more challenging coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, appointed a new board member to fill a vacancy created by retirement and voted to maintain local control of school funding decision-making by opting out of statewide legislation.

Congratulations to the Cherokee County School District’s 2025 STAR Students and Teachers!  The STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, Student honor is awarded to the high school senior from each Georgia public and private high school with the highest score on any single test date of the SAT and who also ranks in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of his or her class based on grade point average.  Each honored student is invited to select his or her favorite teacher to be named that school’s STAR Teacher.

The Cherokee County School District on Thursday night celebrated 264 outstanding high school students as 2025 Superintendent’s Key Scholars!  These top students were recognized, through the 20th Annual Superintendent’s Key Scholar Recognition Ceremony, for earning a PSAT National Merit Selection Index score of 185 or greater, which ranks them in at least the top 10% of students nationwide.    

More than 500 CCSD female athletes gathered Monday to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) and recognize the positive impact and great opportunities provided by the school district’s elite athletic programs. 

State School Superintendent Richard Woods visited Little River Elementary School on Monday to present special banners to 15 CCSD schools recognized for outstanding achievement in literacy or math on the 2024 Georgia Milestones tests.

Cherokee County School District theatre programs and students earned top honors at regional One Act Play competitions, with one show advancing to a state performance event!

Cherokee County School District high school students have increased their success in college-level courses, earning international honors for their schools.  CCSD students raised their overall Advanced Placement (AP) exam average score to 3.6, up from 3.4, this past spring, according to a new report from the College Board, while also increasing participation, with 6,955 exams completed, up from 6,091.  

The Holly Springs Optimist Club today honored eight CCSD students, along with an outstanding teacher and a paraprofessional at its annual High School Awards breakfast, which recognizes outstanding special needs students and their supportive teachers and staff. 

The Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2024 ACT scores topped national and state averages!

Cherokee County School District’s SAT scores continue to top statewide and national results, according to results released today by the College Board.

The Cherokee County School Board this week will recognizes its new class of Student Delegates!

The Cherokee County School District’s fifth annual VILLA Program, which encourages and celebrates parent engagement, graduated a new class this month.

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 meeting approved plans to expand a school and heard important budget updates.

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 regular meeting welcomed its new Student Advisor and Student Delegates for the school year!

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, June 16, 2023 approved a budget for next school year that improves teacher and support staff compensation and keeps class sizes low without a millage rate increase.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, May 18, 2023 reviewed the proposed budget for next school year, which increases salaries for teachers and support staff, and approved the construction contract for the new replacement Cherokee High School campus.

Within the Pathway, classes offered include: automotive technology I, II and III.  Students can earn Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and OSHA 10 industry certifications.  They can compete in SkillsUSA state and national career skills contests. This Pathway prepares students for careers including, but not limited to: automotive master mechanic, automotive specialty technician, engine and other machine assembler, automotive technician builder, automotive general manager, automotive inventory control specialist, service manager, automotive parts associate.

This week’s CCSD Pathway Profile focuses on Air Force JROTC - Government and Public Administration, which is offered at Cherokee HS, Etowah HS, River Ridge HS and Sequoyah HS, with other JROTC Pathways also offered at Creekview HS (Army) and Woodstock HS (Navy).  The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Cybersecurity, which is offered at the Cherokee College & Career Academy that is open to all CCSD high school students …

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 approved mid-year bonuses for teachers and support staff and heard plans to increase salaries for next school year.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower proposed the one-time supplemental payments of $1,000 for eligible full-time employees and $500 permanent part-time employees, which will be issued in this month’s paychecks, to show appreciation for their continued service.

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Nutrition and Food Science, which is available at all CCSD high schools …

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Healthcare Science - Therapeutic Services and Patient Care, which is offered at Cherokee HS and Sequoyah HS during the school day and after school at River Ridge HS through a dual enrollment program with Chattahoochee Technical College.  

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Marketing and Management, which is offered at Creekview HS and Sequoyah HS …

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Teaching as a Profession, which is offered at Creekview HS, River Ridge HS and Sequoyah HS …

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on Engineering Drafting and Design and Architectural Drafting and Design, which is offered at Sequoyah High School and Etowah High School.

The Cherokee County School District has earned international recognition for excellence in education!

The district is one of only 38 school districts in the world to today be named a 2022 Cognia School System of Distinction by the international accreditation organization.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday evening welcomed its new Student Advisor and Student Delegates for the school year!

The School Board has included a Student Advisor position on its board since 1999, and, for the past 11 years, a Student Delegate from each high school also has been selected.  

The Cherokee County School District offers 38 Career Pathway high school programs, which provide students with a wide selection of job exploration and preparation electives.  Through CCSD Pathway Profiles, we’ll regularly share highlights with you from one of these programs.  This week’s profile focuses on the Arts, A/V Technology and Communications program, which is offered at all CCSD high schools:  

Cherokee County School District students for the seventh consecutive year exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests, with significant gains on most tests. 

The annual tests assess students’ mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, which set expectations for what lessons students will learn in each grade.  Teachers and administrators use the results to improve instructional best practices.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night approved the budget for next school year, which calls for a tax rate reduction, increased investment in school safety and pay raises for teachers and support staff.

The 1.5 mills decrease in the tax rate, which was unanimously approved, is the first reduction proposed since 2014 and was prompted by the rise in property values.  While most homeowners will see an increase in their tax bill due to their property value rising, the increase will be less due to the School Board’s action.   

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday night reviewed the proposed budget for next school year, which calls for a reduction in the tax rate for all property owners and well-deserved pay increases for teachers and support staff.

The proposed 1.5 mills decrease in the tax rate is the first reduction proposed since 2014 and has been recommended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower in light of rising home values.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday heard good news about the school district’s financial outlook due to increasing home values and discussed ways to reduce the burden on taxpayers, while also using some of the windfall to make teacher and staff pay more competitive.

The Cherokee County School District received excellent news today: the district’s international accreditation as a high-quality school system is recommended for renewal for another five years!

“Accreditation is the gold standard for school districts – it provides independent assurance to parents, employees and taxpayers as to the excellence of their public schools,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said.  “I’m incredibly proud of the work that all of our employees do every day to provide the best possible education and care to each of our students.  Thank you to the amazing parent volunteers and business and community partners who support us.  None of this would be possible without the outstanding leadership of our School Board, its vision for our future and its strong stewardship of the resources entrusted to them by our community.”

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, March 17, 2022 approved a budget amendment to accept state funding for eligible part-time and full-time staff to receive a one-time bonus and appointed new school leaders for next school year. 

The Cherokee County School Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 17, heard an update on CCSD’s student support services efforts including suicide prevention.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Jan. 13, reviewed a progress report on accomplishing Blueprint strategic plan goals and heard operational updates including the planned expansion of CCSD’s school choice program.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 18, approved its 2022 Legislative Partnership Priorities, which advocate for continued local control of public education decisions and the end of State educational funding budget cuts.

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday, Oct. 21 work session, reviewed projects proposed for the Education Special Purpose Location Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) renewal up for a vote on Nov. 2, with Early Voting now underway.