Heritage High School Student passes away
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — According to a statement from Catoosa County Schools, a Heritage High School student passed away on Friday, November 14, 2025.
In a statement from Superintendent Chance Nix he said:
“The Board of Education and I appreciate the swift and compassionate response at Heritage High School this morning. The principal, school, and district staff focused on ensuring that every student felt safe, supported, and cared for during an extremely difficult time. We witnessed true professionalism and heartfelt compassion in action. Everyone surrounded students with support by deploying school counselors, social workers, district staff, and outside mental health professionals. They ensured that our SROs and school nurses were present to maintain a calm and secure environment. We are also deeply grateful for our community partners, including local youth pastors and counselors, who stepped forward immediately to offer additional care and support.”
He continued, ” Our thoughts are with the student’s family, friends, and all who loved him. We will continue to wrap our arms around our school community with the care it needs in the days ahead.”
According to a statement from Catoosa County Schools, to provide support for students and families, Heritage High School and Principal Phillips took the following measures:
- Teammates and their families were invited to the school this morning to be together in the Media Center. There were multiple school counselors, social workers, and school administration in the room to offer support to anyone who needed it.
- A separate space was reserved for any student who needed support.
- Students who needed additional support went to the counseling office to meet with a counselor one-on-one.
- All staff were notified of the plan for student support in writing yesterday and in person this morning in a faculty meeting. They were allowed to ask questions for clarity. The school counseling department spoke to the faculty and staff to prepare them for the response. They were given instructions on how to handle a student who was struggling and where to send them if they needed additional support.
- Multiple members of the district office were at school this morning to provide support to staff and students.
- All teachers have been instructed to be very visible during class changes so they can interact with students to offer support.
- Students who were struggling were allowed to check out of school following our normal procedures, with the understanding that it would be an excused absence.
- Teachers were encouraged to put academics on the “back burner” for the day in favor of meeting with their students and offering support to them.
In a statement from Catoosa County Public Schools,
“He was an exceptional student and athlete, and he will be deeply missed by his classmates, teachers, and our entire school community.”
