MARIETTA — Three new Marietta City Schools board members were sworn into office Sunday afternoon along with current members by Georgia Supreme Court Justice P. Harris Hines at a swearing-in ceremony at the MCS administrative office at 250 Howard St. in Marietta.

Newly elected members Logan Weber of Ward I, Stuart Fleming of Ward 5 and Tom Cheater of Ward 6 join returning board members Tony Fasola of Ward 2, Randy Weiner of Ward 3, Jill Mutimer of Ward 4 and Irene Berens of Ward 7. The next board meeting will be 6 p.m. Jan. 12 at the office, at which time a board chair and vice-chair will be elected.

Fasola, current board chair, said maintaining adequate funding at the state and local levels will be the new board’s biggest challenge as governments face dwindling revenues as a result of the economy.

“That’s probably the biggest challenge,” he said. “And maintaining our high level of curriculum and fantastic employees.”

Fleming said he feels the new board is up to meeting those challenges. Fleming replaces longtime member Jeanie Carter who retired from the board. Since the November election, he said he has received a lot of advice from people.

“All of it has been good,” he said. “But, really making the best decisions for all students — not just any one particular group — and building consensus.”

In brief remarks at the ceremony, Marietta Schools Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck said she hopes the new board will build on the successes of past school boards, such as in being selected a “Board of Distinction” by the Georgia School Board Association. The award recognizes boards that meet GSBA standards of education and distinguish themselves in additional key areas of organizational structure.

“Four of our board members are already those who have committed and dedicated themselves to the service of this school district,” Lembeck said. “Three new ones will join them as this system moves forward to educate all children to the highest level possible.”

Marietta Mayor-elect Steve Tumlin and Marietta Councilman Philip Goldstein were among the officials present at the swearing-in ceremony, in addition to system administrators and the families of board members. A reception was held afterwards.

Justice Hines, a Marietta resident, noted that he has a grandson enrolled in the Marietta City Schools system. He praised public schools and educators during remarks before the swearing-in.

“My mind is neither wavering nor unsettled, but rather it’s firm and fixed that one of the principle pillars that have made our country so great is our system of public education,” said Hines, an alumnus of Atlanta’s Grady High School and Emory University.

“As a grandparent with a child in the first-grade in the Marietta School system, I know with certainty that he like the other children and young men and women in the Marietta School system, are getting a top of the line education. And it is because it starts right here at the top with our school board.”