Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District III Board Member  Chairman, Board of Education

January 14, 2004

State of Education in Gwinnett County

   As your District III School Board member, I was honored at the January 2004 meeting to be elected Chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Education for 2004. As the School Board representative of seventeen schools in Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Duluth, and Berkeley Lake, I appreciate the opportunity to bring the voice of District III to the work of the Gwinnett County Public Schools.
   The beginning of the calendar year provides an opportunity to preview the State of Education in Gwinnett County and to recognize the many community partners who collaborate with us in providing excellence in public education to the residents of Gwinnett County. 
   First, some statistics related to the 2004 school year. In August 2004, we will break records among Georgia's public school systems when we open ten new schools, including the new Duluth Middle School of Pleasant Hill Road and the new Chesney Elementary School on Old Norcross Road. 
   Occupying our more than 100 schools in Gwinnett County in 2004 will be 6,100 new students, boosting Gwinnett County Public Schools' total enrollment to 135,000 students. 
   To provide our students with the very best possible educational program, in 2003-04 the school system recruited 1,900 additional teachers, with nearly sixty from India, Africa, Columbia, Costa Rica, and other international locations. 
   As we begin 2004, more than 21,000 employees provide the teaching and support services required to operate the largest public school system in Georgia-and one of the 25 largest school systems in the nation. 
   We begin 2004 with a Aaa Bond Rating awarded to the Gwinnett County Public Schools by Moody's Investor Services. This award represents the Gold Standard for sound financial and business operations. We received the award in recognition of Gwinnett County Public School's judicious management of its $1.2 billion budget for FY 2003-04, including Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) income to support construction of eight new schools and other major renovation projects.
   We start the new calendar year in partnership with many key community and State leaders and organizations whose support is essential for successful public education in Gwinnett County. Among these are Governor Sonny Perdue and members of the 2004 Georgia General Assembly, especially the members of the Gwinnett Delegation to the Georgia General Assembly.
   We look forward to participating in significant initiatives that will have an impact on public education in Gwinnett County during the 2004 session. Included is a 2% salary increase for public school teachers and an additional 3% increase for teachers at select salary steps related to classroom experience and professional development.
   Also during the 2004 General Assembly session, we look forward to working closely with Gwinnett County's Parent Teacher Association on several special events of significance, including PTA Day at the Capitol. Through the leadership of the State of Georgia PTA, we will share information on education legislation with Governor Perdue, legislators from throughout Georgia, members of the Gwinnett Delegation, and leaders of the Gwinnett Council of the PTA. 
   The first months of the year also provide opportunities for dialogue and communication with members of the Gwinnett County chapter of the Georgia Association of Educators, (GAE). We look forward to review proposed legislation and with our education partners to review the State of Public Education in Gwinnett County.
   Chairman Wayne Hill and the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners utilize the first months of the calendar year to present their budget to residents of the county and to communicate initiatives on which the Board will focus its 2004 efforts. 
   Those of us in School Board District III were fortunate to hear Chairman Wayne Hill present his State of the County address to members of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association (UPCCA) at a late January meeting at Simpsonwood Retreat Center in Peachtree Corners. 
   The first months of the year also provide opportunities to bring School Board news and issues to Norcross residents. Mayor Lillian Webb and the Norcross City Council provide a forum for elected officials to communicate with Norcross residents related to their concerns and issues.
   One of Gwinnett County's long-standing partners in education is the United Ebony Society. Through its 2004 King Day Celebration, including a parade in downtown Lawrenceville and a day-long seminar at the Gwinnett Justice and Civic Center, the United Ebony Society helps educators and other residents of Gwinnett County remember the meaning of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy.

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