A recent meeting of the Rome City Schools Board of Education featured a presentation on the district’s Operations Department and a video from the Kickoff Classic event, held at the College and Career Academy at Rome High School.
John Fricks, Director of Instructional Technology, Safety, and Operations for Rome City Schools, presented an overview of several departments: Maintenance, Nutrition, Transportation, Communications, and Safety. Fricks reported that Opengate weapons detection systems have been successfully implemented at all elementary schools. He also discussed the use of the Zonar Z-Pass system for all school bus riders in the district.
Fricks noted improvements in both Technology and Maintenance Departments. According to his presentation, these departments are now able to respond to service requests more quickly and resolve issues faster than before.
The Nutrition Department served 503,212 breakfasts and 798,971 lunches during the 2024-2025 school year. The Transportation Department transported 3,458 students daily.
In communications efforts for 2024-2025, over 14,000 photos and 50 videos were produced by the department. Additionally, there were more than 950 social media posts with a combined reach exceeding 7.5 million views.
“The Operations Team puts everything together for the goal of helping our students. We want to be able to make all Rome City Schools students get to walk across the stage at graduation, and that those graduates will be ready for college or work,” Fricks said.
A video shown during the meeting highlighted moments from this year’s Kickoff Classic celebration marking the start of school.
Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland addressed several topics including upcoming MAP testing and DIBELS testing schedules. He announced that activities for the Superintendent Student Advisory Council Leadership in Action with the University of Georgia would begin this week.
Holland also mentioned upcoming classes at the Parents Resource Center and informed attendees about Friday’s Corky Kell Classic football game at Barron Stadium between Rome and Creekside. He reminded families that tickets are available online at a reduced price if purchased by Thursday afternoon.
