March 19, 2018, Bartow County celebrated School Board Appreciation week by presenting each board member (Chairman-John Howard, Vice Chairman- Derek Keeney, Dr. Davis Nelson, Fred Kittle, Anna V. Sullivan) with a special gift at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

Cass High School presented board member, John Howard, with a custom-made wooden plaque and an assortment of Colonel apparel, which was created using our new Makerspace. Howard has been a member of the Bartow County School Board for many years and he is well-known for the tireless work he does to help raise money for the Bartow County Foundation, a non-profit organization, which was established to provide additional support for the Bartow County School System, its employees and, most important of all, its students. When asked about the contributions Mr. Howard and our school board make to our community, a reoccurring theme in the responses seems to be both time and dedication. Assistant Principal, Kristen Martin, appreciates that Mr. Howard has always been “a fervent advocate for both our county and our students. He makes the best interest of the students a priority.” Michael Nelson, Cass High’s Principal, spoke of how much he appreciates the time and effort that Mr. Howard pours into the students of Bartow County. Nelson pointed out that our board members, Mr. Howard specifically, often are the unsung heroes who work behind the scenes to ensure that students in our system are given every opportunity to be successful, and he “greatly appreciates Mr. Howard’s dedication”. 

Cass High freshman Jake Wright, a family friend of the Howards, was asked to present the appreciation gift. Wright said he “felt special” and “happy” to give Mr. Howard an appreciation award. 

At the end of the evening, Superintendent Dr. John Harper also had many words of thanks for the five board members for their tireless work. He added, “Those of you in the audience have no idea how much time these individuals spend working for what’s in the best interest of the boys and girls and the staff in Bartow County, so it’s with a heartfelt thank you for all of your time and effort.”

The administration, teachers, students, and staff at Cass High say thank you to all of our board members for making Bartow County Schools a great place to be.