Cherokee School Board Member Not Seeking Reelection

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — One of the longest serving members in the Cherokee County School Board’s history Mike Chapman announced on Wednesday that he will not seek another term.

Chapman, who began his tenure in 2002, said he is proud of the many accomplishments achieved by the Cherokee County School District during his service.

“It’s simply amazing to look back on all that our school district has accomplished over the last two decades,” Chapman said, who was elected four times by his fellow board members to serve as chairman and five times to serve as vice chairman. “I will be forever humbled that our community allowed me to play a role in that success for so many years.”

“Serving on the school board has been the highlight of my civic service due to the positive impact we have made on generations of students and the community as a whole,” Chapman said, who also served students statewide for many years through his volunteer role as a founding board member for the Georgia Education Coalition. “Thank you to the voters who supported me through four elections and through every challenging decision our board has made.”

The many educational initiatives implemented thanks to Chapman’s advocacy include the nationally recognized Cherokee Academies program, developed in response to his call for more educational school choice in our community. The school district’s STEM and Fine Arts Academies provided a model for school districts nationwide and earned state and national recognition. A champion for fiscal conservatism and transparency, Chapman supported the development of the Open CCSD webpage, which provides a one-stop shop for the public to access financial and accountability records.

His greatest legacy may be his dedication to career education, fueled by his own successful business career as the Canton plant manager and now executive for Morrison Products. Prior to his service on the School Board, Chapman was a founding member of the Cherokee Learning Center, the county’s first GED program and served on the Board of Directors for Appalachian Technical College. Additionally, the development of the Cherokee College and Career Academy, launched this school year, would not have occurred without Chapman’s support and advocacy.

Chapman, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, for decades has opened his workplace for school field trips and visits classrooms to talk about career choices. His wife, Mary, also has provided Chapman with valuable insights into this arena thanks to her role as a career education teacher for the school district.

Chapman, a longtime member of numerous civic clubs and community boards of directors and father of two Cherokee Schools graduates, said he will continue to support the school district as a volunteer and advocate.

“Our School Board and school district are in excellent hands, and I hope our community will continue to seek school board members who have demonstrated their dedication to our schools and our students,” Chapman said.