Catoosa County Public Schools: Superintendent's November 2026 Newsletter
The book The Courage to Be Disliked recounts the ancient legend of the Gordian Knot. King Gordias had tethered an ox-cart to a pillar in the citadel of Gordium with an impossibly intricate knot. Over centuries, many skilled leaders had attempted to untie it, but all had failed. A local prophecy declared: “Whoever unravels this knot shall be master of Asia.”
When Alexander the Great arrived in Phrygia, he went to see the cart. Rather than struggling to untie the knot like others before him, he did something different, something no one expected. He drew his sword and cut the knot in a single stroke, reportedly declaring: “Destiny is not something brought about by legend, but by clearing away with one's sword.”
He faced the same challenge as his predecessors, but he chose to redefine how the problem could be solved. Today, we call this “Thinking outside the box.”
Our theme this year is Excellence Takes Action, and that is precisely what Alexander demonstrated. He saw the challenge clearly, but he also saw something others had missed. Not only did he think outside the box, he acted as if there were no box at all!
Every day, educators and school staff face immense challenges evolving curricula, classroom distractions, diverse developmental needs, budget constraints, large class sizes, state mandates, funding cuts, and finite hours in the day.
Can you imagine if Alexander had stood before the knot, thrown up his hands, and said, “Well, I guess this is as far as we go?” He certainly never would have conquered Asia.
Every morning across our district, our educators and support staff do not simply accept limitations and succumb to defeat. Educators are the most resilient problem solvers in America. They solve more problems before breakfast than the average professional solves all week! If you don’t agree, just try one morning of bus duty or breakfast duty in an elementary school.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of our 1,700 CCPS team members. Thank you for your tireless dedication and your spirit of adapting,
improvising, and overcoming every obstacle. You may not be severing ancient ropes, but you are conquering something far more meaningful: the barriers that stand between our students and their full potential.
Thank you for your resolve, your creativity, and for changing the world for every child, every day, without exception.
CCPS Ranked #1 for Chattanooga Area School Districts
Thanksgiving Break November 23-27
CCPS Presents: Did You Know?
Spotlight on Catoosa County Schools
Catoosa County Board of Education Earns GSBA Exemplary Board Status for 12th Consecutive Year
For the twelfth consecutive year, the Catoosa County Board of Education has earned the Exemplary School Board Distinction by the Georgia School Board Association (GSBA). This prestigious honor underscores the Board’s steadfast commitment to effective governance, continuous improvement, transparency, and collaboration, all of which contribute to fostering strong schools. To earn this distinction, the Board met and exceeded rigorous criteria established by the GSBA. The standards for Exemplary Boards are designed to ensure that local school boards provide outstanding leadership and accountability in service to their communities.
Local School Governance Training
Recently, the Local School Governance Team at every school across the district completed its annual training, featuring guest speaker Susan Avant from the Charter System Foundation. Catoosa County Public Schools (CCPS) was fully represented across all 17 schools, with attendance including school principals, Superintendent Nix, Board Member Gloria Hunt, and 79 Local School Governance Team members. To wrap up the training, each team collaborated to provide crucial feedback that will help shape the district's next 5-Year Strategic Plan. We extend our deep gratitude to the parents, guardians, teachers, and community members whose leadership and dedication on these teams continue to guide the future of our school system.
CCPS Business Scholarship Award Winners
Big congratulations to our outstanding students! Catoosa County Public Schools is thrilled to announce the recipients of the Business Partner Scholarship, awarded to one exceptional junior from each of our high schools: Peyton Walker representing LFO, Elin Rios-Lopez representing HHS, and Madelyn O'Shields representing RHS.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the six dedicated community sponsors funding their future! Your generous support empowers our students to reach new heights.
A-Team Attendance Award Winners First 9 Weeks
RMS First 9 Weeks Best Attendance
RMS has officially claimed the Best Attendance Award for the first 9-week quarter! At CCS, we know that regular attendance is crucial to student success. Showing up every day is the first step toward reaching big goals! To celebrate these milestones, we're proud to introduce "The A Team Attendance Awards" this school year to honor high-achieving schools each quarter. Thank you to our amazing RMS students, parents, teachers, and staff for making attendance a top priority and setting the bar high!
LFO Most Improved Attendance First 9 Weeks
LFO has earned "The A Team Attendance Award" for Most Improved Attendance from last year's 4th quarter to this year's 1st quarter! At CCPS, we know that regular attendance is crucial to educational success. Seeing this kind of progress shows what happens when our school community works together. To recognize these big achievements, we're proud to highlight schools taking major steps forward with our new awards this year. Huge shoutout to the students, families, teachers, and staff at LFO for dedication to showing up and building strong habits! Keep that momentum going!
National School Psychology Week November 9th-16th
CCPS 2026 Teacher of the Year Video
CCPS Quarterly Shout Outs
CCPS Shout Out: Josh Hensley
Mr. Hensley is brand new to administration, elementary school, and TCE; however, you would have no clue because of the phenomenal transition he has made! The teachers at TCE have been so blessed and impressed with his added presence in our school. He is present, attentive, and intentional. It is obvious that he is willing to learn and do whatever is needed for the betterment of our school community. His communication and relationship building amongst colleagues, students, and parents has been evident and appreciated. Mrs. Dills and Mr. Hensley are a true dream team and TCE is the BEST!
CCPS Shout Out: Corey Lingerfelt
In addition to developing positive relationships with students, Mr. Lingerfelt has devoted much of his spare time to LFO's website and ParentSquare. The website looks great, and he deserves recognition for going above and beyond to keep it running smoothly while updating our club and organization pages.
CCPS Shout Out: Tina Garner
Tina is a dedicated CCPS bus driver who consistently goes above and beyond. She works hard, is always dependable, and is always willing to jump in and help wherever she is needed. Her hard work, positive attitude, and dedication to our students and department do not go unnoticed.
Catoosa County Board of Education Recognitions
LFO High School Construction Program Earns State Industry Certification
CCPS is proud to announce that Ryan Banks, construction teacher at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (LFO) High School, was recently recognized by the Board of Education for achieving state-level Industry Certification. In September, Mr. Banks received his industry certification from Construction Ready, an organization that ensures high school construction programs within the state of Georgia are providing students with hands-on learning, classroom engagement, and career exploration within the construction industry. In receiving this certification, Mr. Banks has demonstrated his commitment to the students of LFO and the construction industry, further establishing himself and the LFO construction program as valuable assets for the school and community.
The Catoosa County Board of Education celebrates the From HERE to CAREER Academy for state recognition of excellence
The Catoosa County Board of Education recognized the From HERE to CAREER College and Career Academy in honor of its designation as Georgia’s 2026 College and Career Academy of the Year. The academy, which serves juniors and seniors from Catoosa County’s three high schools, officially received the Governor’s award during the Workforce Summit in September. The academy was recognized for its innovative approaches to workforce development and student readiness. CCA initiatives include the integration of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) training into the curriculum and cross- disciplinary projects that directly benefit the local community. Notably, students in the Construction students have collaborated with the district to build the new CCPS Literacy Bus, utilizing PEACH Education Tax Credit Funds. Education students will be employed as teachers when the bus travels to elementary schools and
neighborhoods.
Catoosa County Board of Education Celebrates Tiger Creek Elementary as a 2026 Title I Reward School
The Catoosa County Board of Education is proud to celebrate Tiger Creek Elementary School for being named a 2026 Title I Reward School by the Georgia Department of Education. Title I Reward School recognition highlights schools that have demonstrated strong academic outcomes and/or significant progress in student achievement. Reward Schools represent the top 5 percent of Title I schools in Georgia, making the greatest progress in student performance, as demonstrated by the last two statewide Milestones assessment results. This honor celebrates schools demonstrating exceptional academic achievement and a strong commitment to student success.
The Board of Education recognizes the District Teacher of the Year
Catoosa County Public Schools Board of Education proudly celebrates Mrs. Amy Chambers of Heritage Middle School as the 2026 County Teacher of the Year. At the Board meeting on October 6, 2026, Heritage Middle School Principal Dr. Melissa Travillian said, “Mrs. Chambers’ impact at Heritage goes far beyond the students she teaches each day. As one of our original Generals who has been here since the doors first opened, she has become a vital part of the heart, history, and legacy of our school.”
CCPS Sets New Historic Benchmark as the District and All Three High Schools Post Record-High Graduation Rates
Catoosa County Public Schools (CCPS) has reached a historic academic milestone, achieving the highest four- year graduation rate in the district’s history while seeing record-breaking rates across all three traditional high schools. For the Class of 2026, the district’s four-year cohort graduation rate climbed to 94.37%, jumping more than three percentage points from last year’s previous record high of 91.36% and outpacing the Georgia state average of 88.5%. This upward trend is the result of a comprehensive, district-wide framework designed to monitor student progress closely and provide personalized pathways to a diploma.
National Substitute Educator Day
Parent Square Information
ParentSquare Information
Catoosa County Public Schools (CCPS) is excited to announce a major upgrade to district-wide communications. Starting July 1, 2026, the district transitioned to ParentSquare, a unified platform designed to streamline communication between schools and families, students, and staff.
Families will receive messages through email, app, voice, or text, helping everyone stay informed and involved!
An account is automatically created for each parent or guardian using the contact information in our student information system. We encourage you to activate your account to download the free mobile app, set your language preferences, and choose how and when you’d like to receive messages.
What you can do with ParentSquare:
1) Receive updates from your school via email, app, or text notification
2) Choose to get posts as they’re shared or bundled in a daily digest
3) View posts, photos, calendars, and important announcements
4) Communicate in your preferred language with automatic translation
CCPS is excited to begin the 2026-2027 school year. CCPS offers a bus-tracking app called Traversa MyRide K-12. Please scan the QR code shown in this article with your smartphone's camera to download and sign up for our new CCPS Bus app.
Traversa offers a more advanced and user-friendly platform designed to improve the safety and efficiency of our student transportation. Key benefits include:
Improved Efficiency: Streamlined processes and real-time updates.
Enhanced Safety: Advanced features to ensure student safety.
Better Communication: Timely notifications and updates through the MyRide K-12 Parent App, allowing you to track your child’s bus with:
Estimated arrival times
Potential delays or route changes
Notifications for specific events (e.g., bus approaching)
Data Privacy: Rest assured that student data is protected, and the app adheres to all privacy regulations.
After scanning the QR code, you will be directed to download the app and create an account using your student ID.
We encourage all CCPS Bus rider families to participate in the new bus app program. We are particularly interested in your comments regarding the accuracy of bus pick-up and drop-off times displayed in the app. You will be able to track your student 30 minutes prior to and post pick-up time.
All comments are welcomed and appreciated. We look forward to our new MyRide K-12 Program and all it can offer by way of accuracy. We look forward to partnering with you to make our transportation system the best it can be.
Parent ProTech Monthly Newsletter Message
The start of the school year is a great time to set screen-time boundaries that help your child thrive online. Parent ProTech is an excellent resource to help determine what apps are safe for your child as well.
Important New School Year Information from the CCPS Child Nutrition Department
Free & Reduced Meal Application Information for the 2026 School Year
As we begin the 2026-2027 school year, the free and reduced-price meal application process restarts.
Should My Family Apply?
If you believe your family qualifies and you have at least one child enrolled at a school not designated as CEP (Community Eligibility Provision), you should complete an application.
Note: If you received a letter or email stating that your student qualifies for free meals during the 2025-2026 school year through SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or other qualifying programs, you do not need to apply.
Request a paper application from your student’s school.
Important Reminders:
Applications must be completed every school year in order to receive meal benefits. Families are responsible for paying for student meals until they receive an official approval notification.
