Widespread events will usher in 2024 ► PAGE 5
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Superintendent Bearden set to step down in November ’24 By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com
BEARDEN
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Jeff Bearden plans to retire Nov. 1, 2024, after 10 years in the position. Bearden formally
announced his upcoming departure at a Board of Education meeting Dec. 12. He assumed the post Sept. 2, 2014, after serving as superintendent in the Rome City and Fayette County school districts. At the meeting, Bearden recounted his first years as a superintendent in Maine School Administrative District 35 and the Limestone School Department. He also served in other administrative roles, coached varsity
basketball and was a social studies and language arts teacher. Bearden said it has been a wonderful journey from serving 330 students in Maine to Forsyth County Schools, which has more than 55,000 students and has been ranked among the most successful in the state. “I have had several stops along this journey,” Bearden said. “And without question, this has been my absolute
favorite.” The Georgia School Superintendents Association named Bearden a finalist for superintendent of the year from 2019 to 2021. With just less than a year until his planned departure, Bearden said he felt compelled to announce his intention early to allow the district and residents
See BEARDEN, Page 11
Two-part redesign approved for McGinnis Ferry widening By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County has initiated a redesign to split the McGinnis Ferry Road widening into two phases after earlier estimates came in too high to handle. At its Dec. 12 work session, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a contract with Atlas Technical Consultants to redesign the major infrastructure project for $101,209. The county will now pursue the widening in two sections: one from Douglas Road to Sargent Road in Johns Creek, and another from Douglas back to the Union Hill Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard intersection in Forsyth County. The County Commission was scheduled to vote on a $79.4 million bid to commence the widening at an Oct. 10 work session, but commissioners rejected all bids because
of the price tag. McGinnis Ferry, a major east-west artery connecting traffic from Cobb and Gwinnett counties to and through Fulton and Forsyth counties, currently sees some 20,000 vehicles daily, 55 percent over its designed capacity. Forsyth County is sharing costs for the project with the Fulton County cities of Johns Creek and Alpharetta and the Georgia Department of Transportation. At the October meeting, Forsyth County Manager David McKee said after lengthy discussions with the GDOT and the two cities, there was no feasible way to cover the costs. Official project cost estimates have varied since the widening was first proposed nearly 10 years ago, from $36 million originally, then climbing to $61.5 million by 2020.
See MCGINNIS, Page 11
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MAP BY DIONNA WILLIAMS/APPEN MEDIA
This map shows the proposed two phases of the McGinnis Ferry Road widening. The Forsyth County Commission approved a contract for the project to be redesigned in two parts at a work session Dec. 12.
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