Seven county schools under new management

When Columbia County schools open Aug. 13, seven facilities will have new principals at the helm.

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Some of these faces will be familiar to the pupils.

Jeff Collman, who was promoted from assistant principal to principal at Blue Ridge Elementary School, has spent 10 years with the faculty.

"I'm looking forward to building a team and really focusing on our students' needs with their parents," he said.

Lisa Reeder also was promoted from assistant principal to principal at South Columbia Elementary School.

"I'm so excited about just the opportunity to lead our school," she said. "I'm following excellent leadership in the prior principal, Susan Gilbert."

Other principals are new to their schools but not the Columbia County school system.

Carla Shelton, a former Harlem High School assistant principal, will take the reins at Harlem Middle School.

She said plans are under way to implement projects "to get students more involved and to reinforce positive work ethics and good citizenship."

She also said she will try to increase parental involvement and bring in motivational speakers, such as Willie Reese, the director of operations for the Georgia Tech basketball team.

Revelle Cox is making the move from assistant principal at Westmont Elementary School to principal at River Ridge Elementary School.

"I am so excited about meeting the faculty and staff and students and just rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in their education," she said.

Sharon Carson, the new Greenbrier Middle School principal, previously served as assistant principal at Riverside Middle School.

"I'm just so excited about meeting students and getting to know the parents and faculty, and to strive for the continued excellence this school has enjoyed," she said.

Judy Bonadio, the former assistant principal at Greenbrier Elementary School, is "going back home" to Riverside Elementary School. The new principal taught at Riverside Elementary for three years after it opened in 1993.

"Riverside has such an excellent reputation for strong teachers, and I'm just looking forward to an exciting year," Bonadio said.

Sarah Walls is the principal at the school system's newest facility, Cedar Ridge Elementary School, which is opening in Grovetown this year. She also helped to open Lewiston Elementary, where she previously served as assistant principal in 2003.

"I'm excited about our staff. We have a fantastic staff. Most of them have already gotten together over the summer, planning," she said.