NEWTON COUNTY – Earlier this week Newton County Schools’ superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley III released a statement regarding Georgia Senate Bill 233.

Passed in April, the bill allows parents of students attending schools in the lower 25 percent of Georgia’s academic rating to apply for the Georgia Promise Scholarship voucher of up to $6,500. This funding would be subsequently pulled from public schools.

Bradley said that the efforts being made by the state are currently “missing the mark.”

“We acknowledge the efforts to create lists which are intended to provide insights into school performance, and we recognize that objective, fact-based data can be a useful tool for understanding educational outcomes,” Bradley said. “But I stand in support of teachers and in defense of public education — and the recent Georgia Promise Scholarship list and the formula used to determine scholarship-eligible schools misses the mark of accurately reflecting what is truly happening in our schools.”

Earlier this month several schools in Newton County Schools were identified in the initial list released by the state. These include Alcovy High School, Clements Middle School, Cousins Middle School, Flint Hill Elementary, Heard-Mixon Elementary School, Indian Creek Middle School, Liberty Middle School, Live Oak Elementary, Livingston Elementary School, Middle Ridge Elementary School, Newton High School, Rocky Plains Elementary School and West Newton Elementary School.

But the list has since been pulled on two separate occasions for further evaluation. According to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, the state is re-evaluating the list for accuracy.

“GOSA is conducting a very careful, thorough, and conscientious analysis and validation process to ensure the school list is accurate,” read a statement on the GOSA website. “The list will, therefore, be posted at a later date in the new year.”

But regardless, Bradley made it clear how he felt Newton County Schools are performing.

“Our schools are not failing,” Bradley said. “On the contrary, they are doing remarkable work in the face of severe and complex challenges. The hardworking teachers and staff across Newton County and throughout the state of Georgia are committed professionals. They engage in extremely difficult work and produce undeniable gains for our students. To diminish their efforts and the results that they produce without proper context undermines their impact and has the effect of disorienting our community.”

It is not clear when the state will release the new list or if any of the prior schools mentioned will be on the list.

Bradley's full statement can be found here.