Bleckley High student chosen for competitive Georgia Department of Education student council

A Bleckley County High School student was chosen to be one of 74 members of the Georgia Board of Education Student Advisory Council. 

Kayla “Scout” Totty, a junior, is the fourth student to represent BCHS since the 2021-2022 school year, Principal J. Brad Knox said. 

The council is made up of students in grades 10-12 who meet throughout the year with State Superintendent Richard Woods to discuss how decisions made at the state level affect students throughout Georgia. Additionally, members of the advisory council will participate in a service project so they may “engage with their community, develop leadership skills, and contribute to meaningful causes,” the Georgia Board of Education said.

The program had 1,550 applicants this year, according to the board, meaning less than 5% of applicants were selected. Students who applied wrote essays that addressed issues in education such as curriculum and graduation requirements, the impact of state and federal standardized testing, teacher recruitment and retention, and opportunities for students in rural areas. 

“Scout is a phenomenal young lady who works hard and excels in both the classroom and her extracurricular endeavors,” Knox said. “She will represent our school and community very well, and I am proud and excited to have her do so.”

The council includes students from every Regional Educational Service Agency region in Georgia in order to be representative of students in all areas of the state. BCHS is in the Heart of Georgia RESA, which serves 10 school districts: Bleckley, Dodge, Dublin, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler and Wilcox. Five students from the Heart of Georgia RESA were selected.