Retired Fannin County School System Superintendent Morgan Arp was named Fannin County School System’s “Pioneer in Education” at Pioneer Regional Service Agency (RESA)’s annual “Pioneers in Education” awards ceremony Friday, November 1.
This award is presented yearly to individuals who have gone “above and beyond” in order to make a difference in education.
“Mr. Arp was Superintendent while I was a paraprofessional, a teacher, and a new administrator,” Superintendent Dr. Michael Gwatney said. “Each of these roles allowed me to see him in a different way. Through it all, Mr. Arp proved to be a strong leader whom I respected and still do today. A good leader is also a teacher, and I learned from him. He knew the FCSS and led it with a clear vision. He acted professionally, and he kept improvement in focus and at the forefront of our work.”
Arp graduated from East Fannin High School in 1966 and went on to earn degrees at Piedmont College, the University of Georgia and Lincoln Memorial University.
He was elected Superintendent in 1992 and served in the position until his retirement in 2002.
“Mr. Arp had many accomplishments, including the start of an initiative to provide a free breakfast each day to every student in the FCSS,” Gwatney said. “He exhibited care not only for the students but also for the faculty and staff. He began a retirement match for classified personnel to supplement their regular benefits. Establishing the district’s technology and school resource officer programs were also among his achievements.”
According to Gwatney, Arp was instrumental in getting the first Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) passed. “SPLOST was a game changer,” he said. “The FCSS has always had , and still has, great employees, but with SPLOST, the district now has better resources.”
Arp was also a founder of the Mountain Education Charter (MEC) Board.
Gwatney said,“[He] helped start it for those students needing a second chance to earn a high school education.”
After retirement, Arp continued to serve education with the Georgia Accrediting Commission.
“His motto was straightforward and appropriate: ‘School is for kids,’” Gwatney said. “Mr. Arp’s legacy is honorable and will impact generations to come.”