PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2022
Dr. Craig Lockhart- Superintendent
Lauren Sawyer- Communications Specialist
Dooly County School System
(229)-268-4761
Dooly County Schools Removed From CSI List
Vienna, GA — After years of focused school improvement strategies and improved curriculum delivery, Dooly County K-8 Academy and Dooly County High School have been removed from the list of lowest performing schools by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). The schools were placed on the GaDOE’s Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) list in 2017, which identified the 5% of Title I schools in the state with the lowest performance. The middle school of Dooly K-8 was not identified as a CSI school, but received state support as well.
“This was a remarkable feat by the students, teachers, administration, staff, parents, and our Board of Education, especially since a part of this time was during the COVID-19 pandemic when we had to entirely rethink how we taught,” said Superintendent Dr. Craig Lockhart. “Every person and organization that played a role in this endeavor deserves our appreciation.”
Lockhart also recognized past and present teachers, leaders, support staff, families, and, above all, the students for their dedication to excellence. “The Chattahoochee-Flint RESA and the Georgia Department of Education played a crucial role in our success, and we extend our gratitude to them for their support and service,” he said.
The Dooly County schools have been cleared of all low-performing lists and are now considered academically appropriate schools in Georgia. While the focused strategies, improved delivery, and intensive support that were put in place during this process will no longer be provided by the state, each school has established systems to sustain and continue the improvements.
“The classroom teacher is the number one factor in increasing student achievement, and leadership is the number one factor for implementing successful school improvement,” said Lockhart. “We are moving in the right direction, and we are positioned to do greater things in the future. This is indeed a great day to be a Bobcat.”
Lockhart added that while the school system has greatly improved and is proud to no longer be on this list, there is still work to be done. “Our goal is to rank among the highest performing Title I Schools in the state, and we are dedicated and determined to meet this lofty goal,” he said.
Congratulations to the Dooly County School System.
Meet The Superintendent
Dr. Craig Lockhart currently serves as the Superintendent of the Dooly County School System. Before taking on this role, he worked as an Instructional Superintendent with Birmingham City Schools in Alabama and as Deputy Superintendent for Newton County Schools. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lockhart was the Principal of Newton High School in Covington, Georgia, where the school earned recognition as a Title I Reward School in both 2012 and 2013 under his leadership. Prior to that, he served as Principal of Taylor County Upper Elementary School, transforming it from a NI-6 status to a Title I Distinguished School in 2009. That same year, he was named Outstanding Educator of the Year for Elementary Administrators at the GAEL summer conference. Dr. Lockhart also holds National Board Certification in Science.
At the core of Dr. Lockhart’s philosophy is a belief that every child deserves access to a high-quality, enriching education. He is deeply committed to creating meaningful learning experiences and fostering an environment where students can thrive. Dr. Lockhart believes that when dedicated, compassionate educators unite on behalf of students, there are truly no limits to what young people can achieve.