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A school board meeting in the middle of June probably wasn’t the place Maggie Upchurch expected to officially graduate from high school, but that didn’t appear to make Thursday night’s ceremony any less meaningful.

Upchurch, a senior at Troup High, was injured in an accident near the end of the school year and was unable to graduate with her classmates in late May. To make up for it, Troup County School System made sure Upchurch got her graduation moment — graduation cap and gown and all — at Thursday’s board meeting.

“A few weeks ago on May 27, May 28 and May 29, Troup County Schools graduated over 700 kids,” said Superintendent Brian Shumate. “We had one student who met all the qualifications and was ready to go and had an accident. She’s in recovery now, doing well and here with us tonight.”

Troup High Principal Niki Watts, also dressed in graduation attire, said that Upchurch exemplifies the best qualities you can ask for of a student at THS.

“Not only is she an honor graduate, but she genuinely represents the best of the best at THS,” Watts said.

Also at the meeting, several other students were recognized. TyShawna Morris, a Callaway High School 2021 graduate, was recognized as the High School High Tech laptop recipient.  Macy Alivia Ogletree, Callaway Middle School; Bryant Xavier Jimenez, Gardner Newman Middle School, and Dasoni Darrell Denson, Long Cane Middle School; were recognized as 2020-2021 Reach Scholars.

Among other discussion at Thursday’s board meeting was the following:

• Approved the renewal of the Canvas Learning Management Software subscription from Instructure at a cost of $56,375.00.
• Approved the annual service agreement with Infinite Campus for the annual license, application hosting, online registration, Checkmate, and support for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 at a cost of $145,508.
• Approved contracts with the city of LaGrange ($225,101.76) and Troup County ($168,826.32) for school resource officers.
• Approved a request to support Troup County Archives at a cost of $98,410 for records storage and records management services for July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.   
• Approved adjusting the environmental services pay scale to provide a salary scale that is competitive with surrounding counties.  The increase was estimated to cost the district $150,000.