JEFFERSON — City school officials have many reasons to be proud.

During the Jefferson City Schools Board of Education meeting Thursday, board members were given a rundown of some of the system’s most recent accomplishments.

At the meeting, the board congratulated middle-schooler Caleb Moore, who won a state essay contest; high school students Colby Fowler and Lindsay Edwards, who placed in a state Future Business Leaders of America competition; and members of the high school Air Force Junior ROTC team, who finished third in a national competition.

"We thought we’d be able to place in the top 10 at the national competition in five years, but we beat our goal and accomplished it in three years instead," said Maj. Bryan Watson, Junior ROTC instructor.

"These cadets proved that they’re not only one of the top teams in the state, but also in the nation. We walked away with a third-place trophy — first is best, but third is still really, really good."

The board also recognized the school-level teachers of the year: Dave Cuddy, Roger Bright, Kathy Chandler and Jean Conner. Cuddy was selected as the teacher of the year for the entire system.

Associate Superintendent Sherrie Gibney-Sherman also updated the board on how students performed on various state-mandated tests. After reviewing the results of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests, the high school surpassed the necessary Adequate Yearly Progress goals, Gibney-Sherman said.

The board also received an update from system finance officer Kim Navas. According to Navas, the state budget cuts have cost the system about $915,000 midway through the current fiscal year.

"These are huge cuts, and they impact us tremendously," said Ronnie Hopkins, board chairman.

"The worst part is that we couldn’t plan for it, but we did well to make it through the school year."