Dougherty County School Board renames school, complex for longtime educators

ALBANY — The Dougherty County School Board on Wednesday voted unanimously to rename Jackson Heights Elementary School after the school’s first principal, Robert H. Harvey. In addition, the board approved renaming the Isabella Complex after longtime Dougherty County educator and school system Associate Superintendent Walter Judge.

In 1951, Harvey, a lifelong educator, became the first principal at Jackson Heights. He remained in that for more than three decades, retiring in 1984.

“That school meant a whole lot to me,” Harvey said in an interview with The Herald in February. “It was a good school, But times were hard back then; it was rough.”

Recalling the days of segregation, he said, “We always got the last of everything or what the white schools didn’t need anymore.”

At the time it was created, Jackson Heights was the only black elementary school on the east side of the Flint River. It began operations with just 14 students.

Harvey passed away last month at age 94.

Judge spent nearly 31 years with the Dougherty County School System, the last 10 as assistant superintendent. He spent the last nine years of his career at Albany State College, where he was coordinator of off-campus instruction and, in his final year, assistant to the vice president of academic affairs.

“I think this is terrific and is a big honor for me,” Judge said after learning that the Isabella Complex would be renamed in his honor. “I certainly never expected it and I am thrilled to death with the news.

“I think I lasted as long as I did because I tried to be fair to the kids, their parents and our educators.”

Board member James Bush made the motions to rename the buildings. The Harvey motion breezed through, but the Judge motion required a one-time suspension of a board policy that prohibits the naming of a building for someone who is still living.

In other action, the board approved the appointments of four new assistant principals and a principal:

— Marcel Loving, principal at the South Georgia Regional Achievement Center (SGRAC);

— James Sirmans, assistant principal at the SGRAC;

— Cora Brettel, assistant principal at Sherwood Acres Elementary School;

— Jerry Sanders, assistant principal at Northside Elementary;

— Narkisa Howard, assistant principal at Lamar Reese Magnet School of the Arts.

During the board’s pre-briefing, DCSS Homeless Liaison Social Worker Marion Stevens and Boys and Girls Club of Albany Chief Professional Officer Marvin Laster announced they had received a $15,000 grant from the P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation to provide summer scholarships (or memberships) for homeless or children in need in the school system.

“The new Impact Plus Program will use that $15,000 to provide kids something to do during the summer.” Stevens said. “This program is not only for homeless kids, but also for those in need within the school system.”

Laster agreed.

“We can probably reach between 30 to 35 kids with this money,” he said. “This is a local partnership and we are trying you be advocates for young people in need. This is a pilot program and we will have measures in place to see how much we can move the needle in Dougherty County.”