Henry County Board of Education Elects Chair, Vice Chair for 2025
Mustang News
HENRY COUNTY, GA – The Henry County Board of Education re-elected Sophe Pope (Dist. 4) as Board Chair and Annette Edwards (Dist. 2) as Board Vice Chair during a special called meeting on Jan. 9.
Pope and Edwards will continue to spearhead the governance team’s critical role of setting the vision for the district to prepare Henry County students for college, career, and lifelong success.
Pope, a native of Henry County and a graduate and former teacher at Union Grove High School, has been a board member since 2019 and previously served one term as vice chair.
“I am deeply honored to once again be elected as chair and to serve this amazing community alongside this incredible governance team,” said Pope. “I look forward to continuing the vital work of educating Henry County’s children and fostering a supportive environment where our students can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.”
Edwards is a retired educator with 30 years of experience in the classroom and has been a Henry County board member since 2015. She served as vice chair for two terms starting in January 2021 and was elected board chair in January 2023, becoming the first African American woman to serve the school board in this capacity.
“I am truly humbled to have been re-elected as vice chair of Henry County Board of Education,” said Edwards. “I do not take this vote of confidence or role lightly. I am honored to continue working alongside the board to support policies and programs that ensure the success of our entire school district.”
Pope and Edwards embody the vision and mission of Henry County Schools to provide a high-quality, world-class education for every student that empowers them with exceptional opportunities and access that lead to success in a global society.
“I am thrilled for Mrs. Pope and Mrs. Edwards to serve the Henry County Schools community in their respective capacities,” said Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “I have great confidence in their leadership and look forward to continuing our work as a unified governance team in driving our mission and vision forward and upholding the trust this community has placed in us to advance public education across Henry County.”
Along with naming this year’s chair and vice chair, Thursday’s special called meeting also included the swearing-in of newly elected board member Jennifer Carter (Dist. 3) and newly re-elected board members Dr. Pam Nutt (Dist. 1) and Makenzie McDaniel (Dist. 5).
The Henry County Board of Education has amassed an impressive series of successes and notable achievements in recent years, underscoring its strong governance and commitment to excellence in education. These achievements culminated in being named Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Governance Team of the Year for Large Systems in November 2023 after being finalists each year since 2020. The board also received the GSBA Leading Edge Award in 2019, 2021, and 2022 and GSBA Exemplary Board recognition each year since 2020.
About Henry County Schools
Henry County Schools (HCS) is the eighth-largest school district in Georgia, consisting of 53 schools and located about 20 minutes south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Over the past two decades, our community has grown in population from 113,000 residents to over 244,000 residents. Since 1999, student enrollment has grown from 21,000 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.
###
- All Schools
- BOE