Ajohda Welcomed to Vidalia City Schools BOE
Curriculum Report
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The Vidalia City Schools Board of Education welcomed a new face to its Board on January 11 as Sadia Ajohda was sworn in as the successor to Ward 2 representative Tim Truxel. Truxel completed his last board meeting as both chairman and a member of the governing body in December. Recently, Truxel changed his location of residency, which left him unqualified to represent the ward. Truxel had served on the BOE for 14 years and left a message of hope upon his departure.
' Vidalia is my home, and I will always be an Indian!” Truxel assured. ' We have always had good leadership, but right now, we have a set of leaders who work together, and that are pulling the rope in the same direction, and I'm just excited about where they are going to take this system in the next five or six years.' Because of Truxel’s departure before the end of his term, the Board was left with the task of appointing a citizen of the ward to serve as BOE representative.
Ajohda is Director and Instructor of Biology at Southeastern Technical College. She is also a parent of students within the school system and owner of Vidalia Karate. She serves on Vidalia’s Downtown Development Authority and participates in many local events. “This appointment is such an honor,” Ajohda commented. “We have lived in Vidalia the past 26 years and have developed an immeasurable appreciation and dedication to our community. I hold our Vidalia City School System in high regard, and I am committed to serving at my utmost capacity in my new role.”
Superintendent Garrett Wilcox shared his excitement for Ajohda to join the Board. “Mrs. Ajohda has been a vital part of our school system for many years as she has served on school governance councils and parent organizations in the past,” he remarked. “The system is very fortunate to have Sadia on board to be a part of providing support and direction for years to come.”
Ajohda was officially sworn into the position by City Judge Daniel O’Connor at the beginning of the meeting, and quickly got to work helping to govern the schools.
Assistant Superintendent Ginger Morris presented a monthly curriculum report that focused on the process of accreditation preparation through Cognia, an institution formally known as Advanced Ed and/or Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) that provides the school with accreditation.
Morris shared that the Cognia survey results from staff, students, and parents had become available and were reviewed by Wilcox and herself. These surveys inform administration of the top five things each school scored best on, and the top five things each school scored lowest on. These results are fed back into the school level leadership teams to adjust the educational atmosphere to provide the best possible education for students.
These results are also compared to the Cognia network of accredited schools that allows the administration to see how the school compares to other schools outside of the local area. “We are very excited about where we stand with those results,” Morris said, “Dr. Wilcox and I have reviewed the data and will soon meet with each school principal to discuss what has been found.”
Passed Items
Board members unanimously passed the 20222023 School Year Calendar, which has school beginning on August 5. The calendar features 176 days of instruction, with the last day of the school year being May 26, 2023. There will be a five-day break for Thanksgiving Holidays, a 12-day break for Christmas Holidays, and Spring Break will be April 3-4, 2023. The Board unanimously approved the transportation request for the Vidalia High School Girls and Boys Track Teams to travel to Birmingham, Alabama, on January 29-30 to compete in their sport. The hiring of a new maintenance assistant for the HVAC units in the schools was also approved, and the district is excited to welcome Travis Vassey to staff for what Wilcox described as a “long awaited helping hand.”
