Thomasville Communities In Schools
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Communities In Schools of Thomasville (CIS) works inside Thomasville City Schools full-time, building relationships with students to empower them to stay in school and achieve in life.  During the 2017-2018 school year, CIS served nearly 2,400 students and successfully helped 98% of our case-managed students stay in school.  Working with schools on a daily basis, our staff are able to identify and tackle non-academic challenges others might not see.  We can address immediate needs from food and clothing, to more complex needs like counseling and mentoring.  In 2015, Communities In Schools conducted qualitative research on a national level that concluded that CIS support services help kids stay in school and reaffirmed that CIS is fully committed to evaluation and improvement to ensure all kids graduate from high school ready to succeed.
 
In Thomasville, 98.6% of students live in poverty.  It can be hard for them to succeed in school and therefore hard for them to achieve a lifetime of success. But by placing caring adults inside our schools - to assess their needs and mobilize community resources around their needs - Communities In Schools of Thomasville helps at-risk kids succeed. We show students that completing every grade and graduating high school is well within reach. Nationally, Communities In Schools is the only organization proven to increase graduation rates. Every year we help thousands of kids to a bright future. When they succeed, we all do.

A Brief History

  • 1977 Communities In Schools, then called Cities in Schools, was born in New York City
  • Fall 1991 Superintendent Dan Cockman began exploring the possibility of starting a CIS program in Thomasville
  • January 1994 CIS of Thomasville received 501(c)3 status
  • April 1994 Judy Younts was hired as the first full-time director.
  • August 1994 CIS begins programming at Thomasville Middle and High Schools
  • June 1995 Year-end Report shows student gains with 60 students served
  • August 1995 CIS expands services to Liberty Drive Elementary
  • 1996 To acknowledge that CIS is devoted to creating community, Cities In Schools changed its name to Communities In Schools
  • February 1, 1996 CIS expands services to Thomasville Primary School
  • 2011 CIS of Thomasville became Nationally Accredited Affiliate
  • 2016 Judy Younts retires and Mary Jane Akerman is hired as Executive Director
  • 2018 CIS of Thomasville became Re-Accredited Affiliate
  • 2020 Mary Jane Akerman retires and Ricky K. Murphy is hired as Executive Director
  • 2021 July 1 CIS of Thomasville moves to 19 East Guilford Street Thomasville, NC 
Click on any diagram below to download a pdf file.
CIS Structure
CIS Structure Spanish
Our Unique Model

For more information on Communities In Schools,
​connect with

NATIONAL WEBSITE
STATE WEBSITE

Meet Our Board of Directors

2022-2023

Cory Tobin

Thomasville Parks & Recreation
CHAIR

Dawn Sheek

Sheek Law
VICE-CHAIR

Andrea Johnson

ANJ Consulting Services
SECRETARY/ ​TREASURER

Chris Kennedy​

Thomasville City Schools

Monique Johnson

Harborside Medical Education

Lewis Lomba

Thomasville Police Department

Lynn Beasley​

Retired School Teacher ​
​Beth Hibbitts
Central Carolina Sales

Resa Raulston

Retired

Maykelin Gonzalez​

Bilingual Student Coordinator-DDCC

Karrie Stansfield

Thomasville Pediatrics

​Sandra Smith

Pinnacle Financial

Ja'Quez Taylor

Teacher- Thomasville City Schools

Tamara Davis

Pharmacy Manager- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center​

Latonya Spencer

Owner of Junk Junkies

Ricky Murphy

Executive Director,
CIS of Thomasville
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Communities In Schools of Thomasville • 19 East Guilford Street • Thomasville, NC 27360  • 336-474-4233
Ricky Murphy, Executive Director
336-474-4233
​Murphyr@cisthomasville.org

​© Copyright 2009-2022
Communities In Schools of Thomasville
  • Home
    • CIS Partners
  • Donate
  • Services & Programs
  • Staff
  • Volunteer
  • Events
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ