Real Estate Report Sponsored section ►►PAGE 28
Principal under the influence Milton High School’s Buhl resigns ►►PAGE 4
Transportation Voters to weigh in on $190 million bond referendum ►►PAGE 9
U.S. Amateur Championship Commemorative pull-out viewer’s guide ►►PAGE 15
August 6, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 31
Forsyth County takes on addiction Drug summit holds third community gathering Aug. 19 By SHANNON WEAVER shannon@northfulton.com
ALDO NAHED/STAFF
New Forsyth County School Superintendent Jeff Bearden addresses new system educators on June 29.
328 new teachers join Forsyth County Schools Educators ready for ‘wonderful school system’ By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — On Aug. 7, about 42,000 students will attend classes at 35 Forsyth County Schools. It’s going to be a new experience for a lot of incoming students and teachers. There are 328 new teachers in all grade levels and
subjects joining the seventh largest school district in Georgia. On July 29, the teachers converged at Lambert High School for orientation. Lambert’s Principal Gary Davison said new educators were told about how Forsyth County operates, met the system’s teachers of the year and new school superintendent. Just at Lambert, there will be 700 new freshmen starting on Aug. 7, but the school has already added 12 portable classrooms to the existing 12. “We are a five year-old building and for a five year old school. To actually grow be-
yond that capacity is unusual, but we welcome the growth,” Davison said. The portable units are temporary, he said. Because voters approved a $195 million education bond in May, Lambert High will be able to add 19 classrooms. “This is very reminiscent of the way we used to grow before the economy crashed,” Davison said. “This is how new educator orientation used to be every year.” The Forsyth County School system continues to grow, but
See TEACHERS, Page 11
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — It’s difficult for most parents to imagine having two children dealing with drug addiction, one of them behind bars. That is the experience of a local mother, whose son and daughter have struggled with addiction for five years. Chris, who did not want to share her last name, suspected her daughter of using marijuana when she discovered she was also using harder drugs. “Her best friend came into my bedroom at 3 o’clock and said, ‘You’ve got to do something, your daughter is shooting up heroin,’” Chris said.
If you go What: Forsyth County Drug Awareness Summit Where: Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Tech When: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19 Cost: Free Chris has found addiction affects not just the addict, but the whole family. “I have been through bouts of depression, questioning whether I’ll ever be able to put all of this behind me,” she said. “I’m still scared. I worry about them every single day.” Chris said her children, now in their early 20s, started with marijuana before experimenting with other drugs. “Whatever was new, they wanted to try it,” she said.
See ADDICTION, Page 9
ALDO NAHED/ARCHIVE
During a recent drug awareness summit, law enforcement made parents aware of the types of drugs people use.