The Hall County School board celebrated with Sam Chapman during his final board meeting Monday night in Gainesville.
Sam Chapman has been the Post 1 representative on the Hall County School Board for sixteen years. Other board members and education officials celebrated with Chapman during their regularly scheduled meeting Monday, December 12. At the meeting’s close, a table with a large cake decorated in praises for Chapman’s service was carried in to an applauding group. Chapman did not seek reelection in this year’s midterm, leaving Post 1 up for grabs between Republican candidate Debra Jones Smith and Democratic candidate Angela Thomas Middleton.
Smith won the seat during November’s election. Chapman said he is happy for Smith and believes she is well-suited for the job.
“She'll do a great job,” Chapman said. “But she’ll have to get over the perceptions of the reality once you get in here. And I have a perception too, we all do. We think this, but until you know all the background and everything—but it’ll work out. She’ll be great.”
Chapman emphasized the importance of understanding the community throughout his time on the board. He said when he first joined the board, he had certain ideas about how things would be done, but those changed as he learned what the position entailed.
Another aspect Chapman believes is important is the growing use of technology in the school system. He said technological advancement is becoming difficult to keep up with, which encouraged him to step back and place the Post 1 seat up for election.
Chapman reminisced with family, friends and other education officials about the journey he’s had over the last 16 years. Chapman is a farmer and has placed agriculture at the forefront of his platform in the county for years. As his time on the school board comes to an end, he looks forward to the peace afforded to him at home.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2022/12/1155215/school-board-member-sam-chapman-celebrates-16-years-of-service