23-04-2025
Local elementary school deemed state 'Literacy Leader' for 2nd year running by GA State Superintendent
WARRENTON, Ga. (WJBF) – Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods made a stop at Mildred E. Freeman Elementary School Tuesday to honor them as a state 'Literacy Leader'.
It's the second consecutive year they've been recognized, and school leaders say the hard work from teachers and students is why they're in the spotlight once again.
The Georgia Department of Education started the annual award in 2023 to highlight schools across the state with outstanding achievement or growth in reading.
It's an honor that Principal Jessica Nicholson doesn't take for granted.
'Reading is very important, because reading is fundamental. Reading is needed for everything. Everywhere you go, you have to be able to read. So that's very important to me as a principal to know that all of our students are able to read at grade level,' said Nicholson.
She says that hard work is a collaborative effort between teachers and students with various programs the school has in place.
'All of our teachers teach literacy, and they have a variety of intervention programs in addition to enrichment programs for our higher-level students,' Nicholson said. 'We give books through a grant we received through the Deal Center, and thanks to that grant we give books to our Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st graders almost monthly—and we'll continue with those same initiatives next year.'
Freeman Elementary School's 3rd graders saw an 18 point increase in literacy scores from last year, with the 5th graders seeing a 26 point increase.
Warren County School System Superintendent Dr. Christopher Harris Sr. says a lot of credit goes to Nicholson, who is seeing these results in just her second year at the school.
'The teachers love her, the kids love her, and those relationships mean so much. She's invested in the community too—you see her at pop warner games, you see her at rec games—the strong suit you have in a rural community that rigor, that relevance, that relationship, and that trust,' said Harris Sr.
Superintendent Woods is also giving Nicholson credit for getting the best out of her 306 students while handling the challenges that come with education in a rural area.
'You don't necessarily have all the resources and the funding that perhaps a larger district would have. But also, we live in a very impoverished area—that's what we call a Title I school—so that is another barrier to overcome. But what we're showing is that with the right work, the right emphasis, the right teachers in front of our kids, and the support—anything is possible,' said Woods.
Harris Sr. echoes Nicholson's message of the importance of reading.
'I think the results are evident that we are instituting the proper structures and support, and now it allows us to continue to fine tune and educating the most precious resources any of us have—and that's our children,' Harris Sr. said.
With end-of-the-year testing coming soon, school leaders say the goal is to boost test scores even more—to keep the state superintendent coming back, and setting students up for a bright future down the road.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
