Henry County Schools' New Scoreboards Showcase Ongoing Asset Replacement Work
HENRY COUNTY, GA – As football teams across Georgia hit the gridiron for week one of the regular season on Friday, the atmosphere at this year’s home openers across Henry County will be even more electric thanks to the addition of new scoreboards at seven high school football stadiums.
The scoreboards – at Dutchtown, Eagle’s Landing, Locust Grove, Luella, Ola, Stockbridge, and Woodland – are part of a newly established system of growth and replacement to advance access and opportunity across the district’s classrooms, fine arts, and athletic programs.
This work isn’t limited to football scoreboards in need of replacement, but scoreboards for other sports, as well as equipment for football, cheerleading, wrestling, softball, volleyball, track and field, and weight rooms – with more to come.
Eagle’s Landing and McDonough will also be debuting new band uniforms first the first time in as many as 30 years as part of this initiative.
“Board-designated funds have been established through the diligent planning of our Board of Education to ensure growth and replacement of classroom furniture, fine arts instruments and supplies, and athletic equipment across all schools,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “This entire body of work is being delivered on behalf of our families, students, and staff, who saw the need for upgrades to the student learning environment.”
Board members and district leadership will join school personnel for pregame recognition of the new scoreboards prior to kickoff of the home openers at Eagle’s Landing, Ola, and Woodland on Aug. 18, as well as Luella on Aug. 25, and Dutchtown, Locust Grove, and Stockbridge on Sept. 8.
“This multi-year project will result in an ongoing system of growth and replacement that will become part of day-to-day district operations, ensuring exceptional opportunities and access that lead to success in a global society,” said Board Chair Annette Edwards (Dist. 2).
So far, 19 high school scoreboards and six middle school scoreboards have been replaced. Equipment upgrades include in excess of 500 weight plates, 50 weight benches, 463 volleyballs, 146 footballs, 50 dozen baseballs, 63 dozen softballs, 409 football helmets and 750 Guardian helmet pads, 733 football shoulder pads, 15 cheerleading mats, 11 wrestling mats, and 504 track hurdles.
At Henry County Schools’ Fall Sports Media Day on July 25, coaches and student-athletes from across the district’s 10 high schools mentioned the impact this work is having.
“The most amazing thing the Board of Education did was focus on the needs,” said Ola High head football coach Tom Causey. “They came to check and see what our needs were and fulfilled those needs – and then some. They’ve gone above and beyond for player safety, for things that are going to help our program grow and become competitive statewide. I’ve been doing his for 29 years, and there are not many systems that do what they did for us this summer. We’re greatly appreciative of the investment that will make an impact not only at Ola High School but all Henry County Schools.”
“As an athlete in Henry County Schools, I appreciate the board’s commendable efforts to provide new equipment to all schools and sports, enhancing our athletic experiences and opportunities for growth,” added Eagle’s Landing High student-athlete Mary Rozier.
Beyond athletics, a pilot program for full furniture replacement was launched at three of the district’s oldest elementary schools – Fairview, Locust Grove, and Oakland – and will expand to two more elementary, one middle, and one high school next summer.
Furthermore, all elementary schools were equipped with furniture and equipment to supply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) labs in early 2023.
Additional planned growth and replacement work includes fine arts and career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) equipment.
“The development of asset management manuals will guide the district’s Planning and Asset Accountability Department in identifying internal expectations, procedures, and guidelines,” said Davis. “The guidance provided by these documents will be the first of its kind for Henry County Schools and will ensure consistent, timely, and effective practices as we deliver the highest quality school experience for the students in our community.”
About Henry County Schools
Henry County Schools (HCS) is the eighth-largest school district in Georgia, consisting of 52 schools, including two academies, located about 20 minutes south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Over the past 20 years, our community has grown in population from 113,000 residents to over 244,000 residents. Since 1999, student enrollment has grown from 21,000 students to 43,000 students, and our number of employees has grown from 3,000 to 6,000.
HCS is “In Pursuit of Exceptional,” taking action to advance opportunities, access, and outcomes so that every student in our school district has Exceptional Support, Exceptional Access, and an Exceptional Future. In 2020, our Board of Education adopted our 2021-2026 Community-Inspired Strategic Plan and laid out a clear vision and mission for Henry County Schools. Our vision is to ensure a high-quality, world-class education for every student, and our mission is to empower all students with exceptional opportunities and access that lead to success in a global society.
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