The Gilmer Board of Education has approved the recommendation for new principals at Gilmer High and Mountain View Elementary to lead those schools.
Chandra Teague will take on the role of Mountain View’s principal. She will be replacing principal Charles Walker, who’s transitioning to be principal at Ellijay Elementary School. EES principal Dr. Melinda Fonteboa is becoming a coordinator for the district.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the privilege to step into the role of principal at Mountain View, where I have been serving as assistant principal for the last five years,” Teague said. “I am deeply invested in our community and the success of our students. I’m excited to continue advancing our district’s goals with a focus on promoting literacy for all students and to ensure that every student has the tools to thrive.”
Tiffany Boyette will be Gilmer High’s principal starting next year. Current principal Derek Bowen is stepping down from the role to pursue a new career. GCSS Superintendent Dr. Brian Ridley expressed his gratitude for his hard work.
“I have served as an assistant principal at Gilmer High School for the past nine years, and I’m familiar with both the strengths of our school and the areas where we can continue to grow,” Boyette said. “I’m honored to step into this new role as principal and build on the great work that’s already happening here. We will continue to maintain a strong foundation, while making thoughtful adjustments, to ensure every student is academically prepared for success beyond high school.”
GCSS plans to hire at least one assistant principal to replace Teague at MVE, and possibly another to replace Boyette at GHS, Ridley noted. They’ve opened internal applications, where, he said, they’ve had some great applicants already.
“We’re very excited about these moves,” Ridley said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they can produce. All three of them are very well regarded amongst their peers and staff.”
Free school lunch
All students across the county will eat free breakfast and lunch during the 2025-2026 school year. GCSS qualified a second year in a row for the government program Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
“It’s based on your level of poverty,” Ridley explained. “We’ve been notified that that program is going to continue, so all of our students are going to eat free, and we’re very excited about that.”
The district also announced its Seamless Summer program will continue, with some changes. It’s in partnership with the Department of Education to help cook and distribute meals to low-income families, ensuring students get nutritious meals even when school isn’t in session.
New for next year is that the Georgia Head Start Association will be assisting GCSS with its summer feeding program. Ridley noted the organization will set up at a location one day a week, on top of the three the district already has, to provide meals for families for multiple days.
“We’re trying to make sure that we can serve as many families as possible,” he added.
Other business
First Baptist Church of Ellijay has been approved to purchase an empty district building that previously housed the Regional Educational Support Agency.
The RESA building’s roof needs to be fixed, and when First Baptist Church decided to give the repairs a shot, Ridley said the district decided to sell it to them to be converted to a church. The building along Old Hwy. 5 sold for $60,000.
Family Literacy Night will be Friday, May 2, at Huff-Mosley Stadium from 5 to 7 p.m. In case of bad weather, the event will move inside Gilmer High School.
This year’s theme is “wild about books,” taking people on a safari adventure. Each school in the district, as well as student groups, will have booths set up for families to explore.