Karen Bridgeman, JCSS Communications Coordinator

Karen Bridgeman
Communications Coordinator

Phone: 706-367-3997
Cell: 706-340-4435

Karen Bridgeman joined the Jackson County School System Central Office staff in August 2016 as its first communications coordinator. Her previous experience includes award-winning work as investigative reporter and managing editor of The Eatonton Messenger, a weekly newspaper in Putnam County, Ga.; director of communications for Anderson County Schools in Clinton, Tenn.; and owner of Bridgeman Communications & Graphics, a public and community relations firm in Oak Ridge, Tenn. She is a member of the Georgia Schools Public Relations Association and the Georgia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. A native of Ohio, she studied journalism and political science in Minnesota where extended family still resides. She and her husband, Ron, live in Jefferson and have two grandchildren in the Jackson County School System.

We keep stakeholders informed through …
  • Direct contact, using information provided (and kept up to date) by parents and guardians.
  • Public meetings and video updates from school leaders and staff, which are live-streamed and also archived on YouTube.
  • Websites for the district and all 10 schools.
  • Social media accounts for the district and all 10 schools.
  • Media releases to local newspapers, TV and radio.

In addition, our schools use newsletters and other printed materials sent home with students, electronic communications, and other means specific to each school.

Direct contact

We use the information parents/guardians provide in Infinite Campus, our student information management system, for direct messaging via phone, text message, email and the U.S. Postal Service. The system allows parents/guardians to designate others who also should be contacted in case of a variety of situations.

It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure up-to-date contact information is listed there. You can check the information we have on file through the online Infinite Campus portal. Please contact your child’s school immediately to correct any errors or update information if it changes.

See more details at right — don’t wait, update and stay connected!

Public meetings, video updates

Board of Education work sessions and meeting agendas are posted at least 24 hours in advance on the Board of Education’s website. The board’s meetings are open to the public; they also are live-streamed and archived on our YouTube channel so viewers can watch at their convenience. Regular video updates from our superintendent, Dr. April Howard, and other school leaders also are posted there, as are video clips from events and activities.


We use the ALERT box on the top left of our district website home page for short-term, time-sensitive announcements; our schools have a similar box at the same spot on their home pages.

We use the posts and pages throughout our website for information of general interest to our stakeholders, as well as contact information for our central office staff and leadership team.

Media releases are posted on the Latest News page. Forms, calendars, and links that support district-wide efforts also will be found on our website. The post “Using this Website” provides more details.

Similarly, our schools use their websites for information specific to their schools, staff members and facilities.

Website tip: Type words specific to your inquiry into the SEARCH box found at the top of any page and hit ENTER. A list of resources will be displayed.

Social media

We use our Facebook and Twitter accounts at the district level as another means of reaching our stakeholders with announcements and information. In the event of emergencies or unexpected situations, they also are the fastest way for us to reach the greatest number of people across our community. People who “like” and “follow” these pages and manage their settings to be notified of posts will be among the first to get information sent via these platforms.

We encourage those who use Facebook and Twitter to “share” our posts on their own pages and posts, to tag others, and to contact us using the Facebook Message function.

Links for employment information are shared via LinkedIn. Additional information and online applications are available by visiting

Links to our schools‘ social media accounts can be found on their websites’ home pages.

Media releases

We send information about the activities in our schools to Main Street news, publishers of both The Jackson Herald and The Braselton News. In addition to the material we submit, watch these locally-owned publications for coverage about our schools and our school system.

More information

If you have questions or concerns about our communications, please contact Karen Bridgeman by phone or email with the information listed at left.

The Jackson County School System does not and will not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, immigration, or any other legally protected status in its educational programs, activities or employment practices.

Click here to see reports about JCSS in other media.

Don’t waitUPDATE
to stay connected

It is a parent/guardian’s responsibility to notify the school immediately if there is a change of address or contact information.

Communications Links

Guidelines: Engaging with JCSS Social Media

JCSS Links


JCSS Board of Education


More Links

  • JCSS Schools – websites are linked to each school’s listing
Media Inquiries

Please contact Karen Bridgeman, Communications Coordinator

  • Office – 706-367-5151, ext. 17110
  • Direct – 706-367-3997
  • Cell – 706-340-4435
  • Email –