The Troup County School Board said goodbye to two longtime board members on Thursday night.

Alfred McNair and Ted Alford participated in their last board meeting on Thursday evening. McNair, who represents district 7, has served on the board since 1988. Alford served as a teacher, coach and principal of Berta Weathersbee Elementary for 39 years and has served as the board member for district 4 for eight years.

Both men were honored with plaques recognizing their time serving on the school board.

“Since his time as a board member, we have seen the building of new schools, expansion of schools, improvement in the district’s culture and climate, and the One-to-One technology rollout,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Roy Nichols of Alford. “He has been instrumental in those decisions and has guided the county in a positive direction.”

McNair began serving on the school board when West Point, Hogansville and LaGrange merged into the Troup County School System. 

Nichols talked about some of the difficult times McNair helped lead the school system through, including budget cuts and furloughs.

“During his tenure, Mr. McNair saw the introduction of the first education SPLOST. The E-SPLOST has provided financial opportunities that have helped enhance the district’s operational goals such as the building of new schools and the introduction of advanced technology where now each student in grades 6-12 have their own Chromebook,” Nichols said.

Tanya Jones-Cameron is taking McNair’s spot on the board. Becky Grubbs is taking over Alford’s spot.

Together, the two men announced that Thursday’s meeting — their final one — was adjourned.