Oconee County, GA Politics

Tyra Gebhard Byers I am so appreciative of the outpouring of support I received for my bid for County Commissioner so it is with a heavy heart that I am letting you know that I had to withdraw from the race for today. I jumped in because I am confident I can serve well as commissioner and because I believe we need a voice in the future of this community. I did not fully grasp what it would take to run a successful campaign. I was up all night over this, but ultimately realized that my kids and family are my number one priority right now. I wouldn't want to run a campaign that I couldn't pour myself into 100%. I hate to disappoint those who have already offered me support, but ultimately feel that it is the right decision. Thank you all!

Andrea Wellnitz  mins Today I qualified to run for Post 2 in the Oconee County Board of Education.  I am running for the Oconee County Board of Education because I believe in the importance of quality public education. I have 2 children who attend Oconee County Schools and I have a vested interest in seeing Oconee County Schools continue to succeed academically. I envision a district where communication, student success, and school climate are our top priorities.  School climate encompasses th e experiences of individuals in the school and research has shown that positive school climate has been linked to positive student development, learning, academic achievement, effective risk prevention and health promotion, high graduation rates, low dropout rates, and teacher retention. (Thapa, Cohen, Guffey & Higgins D’Alessandro 2013) School climate affects students’ mental and emotional health as well as their academic success. To help make our scho...