The Jackson County Board of Education approved the appointments of Hali Chase and Matthew Raettig as assistant principals at Jackson County High School, with both set to begin their roles in July for the 2026-27 school year, according to an April 17 announcement.
The new appointments come as part of a leadership transition at the high school. Lev Hartnup will become principal in July following Melissa Gillespie’s move to Hoschton High School, while Ryan Lesniak will serve as an assistant principal at JCHS through January before becoming athletic director at Hoschton High. The changes are part of ongoing efforts by the district to support student achievement and community engagement.
“We are excited to welcome Mrs. Chase and Mr. Raettig to our administrative team at Jackson County High School,” Hartnup said. “Both are passionate about supporting the educational needs of all students while ensuring they provide the necessary support to our educators. Both will make a tremendous impact on our administrative team at JCHS.”
Chase has been a Spanish teacher at Jackson County High School since 2022 and has held various leadership roles within the school, including serving on the Leadership Team and leading professional development initiatives. She holds degrees from Appalachian State University, Georgia Southern University, and Piedmont University, along with a Tier 1 Leadership Certificate from Piedmont. “I am honored to be named an assistant principal at Jackson County High School. As a teacher at Jackson County, I have been able to serve our community through empowering cultural lessons and strong student connections,” Chase said. “As an administrator, I look forward to the opportunity to expand my impact by supporting not only our students, but also our teachers and staff, and the incredible families in our community… I am very grateful for this new role, and I am excited for what the future holds for our community.”
Raettig currently serves as assistant principal and athletic director at Mountain View High School in Gwinnett County where he has overseen areas such as discipline, testing coordination, health response protocols, attendance monitoring, transportation logistics, technology support services as well as instructional leadership in mathematics, world languages and fine arts departments since 2017. He holds degrees from Columbus State University (Business Administration), Valdosta State University (Master of Arts in Teaching), and University of Georgia (Specialist Degree in Administration & Policy). “It is an honor to serve in the county in which I live,” Raettig said. “I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to the great work taking place at Jackson County High School…to use my knowledge and passion for working with students, staff, and the community to continue the tradition of excellence at JCHS.”
Jackson County School System delivers comprehensive education from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across seven elementary schools, three middle schools two high schools—Jackson County High School among them—and a career center located throughout Jackson County according to its official website. The district serves more than 11,200 students according to its official website.
In addition to academics—the district places emphasis on arts programs athletics activities—helping foster well-rounded student development according to its official website. The system also supports cultural social growth within its communities through these offerings according to its official website. Recognized by both Atlanta Journal-Constitution USA Today as Top Workplace recipient—the district maintains Cognia accreditation status according to its official website.
As these leadership transitions take effect over summer months—students faculty families can expect continuity commitment toward academic personal growth that defines educational experience throughout all schools operated by Jackson County.
