TIFTON — A short Tift County Board of Education meeting Thursday, July 11, saw everything up for vote approved unanimously and the recognition of a state champion in athletics.
The biggest moment of the meeting came early, when Bailee Williams was recognized for winning the 2024 Class 6A shot put state championship.
J.C. Clark, one of Williams’ track coaches, talked about her high school career in the sport. “She competed in 45 track meets in her high school career,” he said.
“Of those 45 track meets, she placed first 30 times,” he said, getting audible “Wows” from board members. “She was second nine times.” Only six times did Williams not place in the top two, three of those being state finals in her freshman-junior years. “That’s a phenomenal mark for anybody,” Clark said. “Not only did she win the state championship, but she shattered the school record three times this season.”
Clark pointed out that Williams’ winning throw at the state finals was the best in any girls’ classification. “She would have been the outright Georgia state champion.”
Williams, who is soon to start at Alabama State on a softball scholarship, earned All-America honors in 2024 for shot put. Clark predicted she was a future member of the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame.
Clark presented Williams with the shot put she threw at state to keep, as well as a laminated copy of The Tifton Gazette article detailing her championship win. This particular shot worked so well for Williams that Clark said had they ever misplaced it, they would have put tremendous effort in backtracking to make sure it was found.
Williams thanked her coaches and teammates for making everything possible. She said they “have given me my entire track career.”
“I will forever be grateful,” Williams said.
Following the presentation to Williams, Superintendent Natalie Gore made her meeting comments.
She thanked all the members of the board of education’s administrative office and staff for working throughout the summer.
“I feel we are very well prepared,” said Gore. “Our human resources team has done an excellent job.” She said the nutrition department was staffed at probably its highest rate. Gore reminded that the start of the 2024-25 school year is just a few days away.
Board members unanimously approved business items on the agenda: the final version of the contract for custodial services for 2024-25; the HR report; trip requests; board policy GARK; for board policy GARH to be out for 30-day public review and comment; and a facility use agreement.
GARH applies to employee leaves and absences. Tift Schools provided the full document for review at https://www.tiftschools.com/o/tcs/page/public-review. GARK pertains to employee vacation time. In June, the board sought to adjust the amount of time for which 12-month employees could receive compensation following their termination.