Most students in the Gainesville area will be heading back to school next week although those in one school district got the jump on things by returning to class Friday.
Friday, Aug. 7, is the "day of choice" for most systems. That's when classes resume in five of the systems in the region. Two private schools in Hall County will also begin the new year that day.
Few new faciilties will greet returning students and faculty this year but, as usual, a lot of renovations and routine maintenance work occurred during the summer break.
However, Jefferson City, Gwinnett County and Habersham County do have new facilities that will be opening this year. The Arena at Jefferson High School will be fully operational this year after seeing limited use last year and Habersham Central High School's new AgriScience Building is ready for use. In Gwinnett County, four new schools and one replacement scool will open their doors for the first time.
The old Gainesville Middle School building next to Gainesville High School was renovated over the summer and will become a 9th Grade Center for the high school. Since the middle school moved into a new complex on Jesse Jewell Parkway several years ago, the old middle school building has been home to a number of school-related programs, most recently Woods Mill Academy. Wood's Mill Academy is now Wood's Mill High School and will be located in a modular building next to the new high school gym. In addition, at Gainesville Exploration Academy, a new modular unit has been added to provide additional classroom space.
Of those school districts AccessWDUN surveyed, all of those that responded expect an increase in the number of students on opening day except three: Gainesville is anticipating fewer students than a year ago and Dawson and Banks counties expect first-day enrollment to be about the same as last year.
Back-to-school at-a-glance:
BANKS COUNTY http://www.banks.k12.ga.us/
First day of school: Aug. 7
Projected first-day enrollment: 2,890
Increase/decrease over last year: little to no change
New schools, major renovations/additions: none
BARROW COUNTY http://www.barrow.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 4
Projected first-day enrollment: 13,500
Increase/decrease over last year: Increase of about two percent
New schools, major renovations/additions:
New Russell Middle School: Site grading and utilities work ongoing, building footings and underslab utilities prep continues, site curb and gutter, base, and asphalt binder installation ongoing. Building slab concrete pours ongoing, building structural steel erection well underway. Kennedy Elementary School Renovation (single story original building): Demolition complete, ceiling grid and above ceiling items - fire sprinkler, HVAC, electrical wiring, lighting- well underway, painting ongoing throughout, roof replacement well underway.
BUFORD CITY http://www.bufordcityschools.org
First day of school: Aug. 6
Projected first-day enrollment: 4,300
Increase/decrease over last year: 200-student increase
New schools, major renovations/additions: 5,000-seat multipurpose facility under construction; expected to open May/June 2016
COMMERCE CITY http://www.commercecityschools.org/
First day of school for students: Aug. 7
Projected first-day peak enrollment: 1,553
Increase/decrease over last year: Increase of 95 students
New schools, major renovations/additions: No new schools; no additions. Updates - New paint and plumbing in all restrooms at Commerce Primary School; new carpet in first-grade classrooms at Commerce Primary; new lighting in gym at Commerce Middle; new parking lot surface across from Commerce Primary
DAWSON COUNTY http://www.dawson.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 7
Projected first-day enrollment: 3,500
Increase/decrease over last year: Flat
New schools, major renovations/additions: Recently broke ground on a 1,000-seat Performing Arts Center that will open Fall 2016
FORSYTH COUNTY http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 6
Projected first-day peak enrollment: 44,193
Increase/decrease over last year: 1,506 increase
New schools, major renovations/additions: Nothing new opening this year, but four existing high school campuses and two middle schools received renovations, and construction continues on DeSana Middle School and Brandywine Elementary School (opening Aug 2016) and Denmark High School (opening 2018).
GAINESVILLE CITY http://www.gcssk12.net
First day of school: Aug. 5
Projected first-day enrollment: 7,349 (expected to increase at the beginning of classes)
Increase/decrease over last year: Decrease of 2.9 percent
Major Renovations/ Additions: Major renovations to the Gainesville High School Ninth Grade Center have been completed, including a facelift to the facility’s front façade. Also, major roof replacement was completed at the Gainesville High School Performing Arts Center. At Gainesville Exploration Academy, a new modular unit has been added to provide additional classroom space.
GWINNETT COUNTY http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 10
Projected first day enrollment: 176,000+
Increase/decrease over last year: 2,800 increase
New schools, major renovations/additions: Four new schools and one replacement school will open their doors for the first time in 2015. Two of the new facilities are elementary schools, one is a middle school, and the other is a high school. The school system also is replacing Summerour Middle School with a new building. With the opening of the four new schools, the school district will operate 79 elementary schools, 28 middle schools, 21 high schools, and eight other educational facilities/schools. Detailed information at: http://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/news/all-news/featured/back-to-school-aug-10/!ut/p/a1/jVBNV4MwEPwtHjiGrBDbPG9Y9RmUqrVaysUXIEAUEl4I2uevFzj3a2-7OzM7szjBMU4U_5Elt1IrXo99Mvv0gwgYIRDSq7UPbPl2B6-rWx9mZABsB0BICTD_GRi9JwtgN_OPxyVZe0DhPD4cqOAkPzzjgGeiRVTipOW2QlIVGseF4LY3IsdxyrNvZDXqskrrGvG-RJeANziZhA8FY_MTgDH5BDgSbfBe1jqd3rwNVOrTwaQRhTDCuL0ZxpW17bUDDjRc1u4Xz3TaNSKX3FXCOvAr0nHhgFS52HluZZu9WpXuLI73aeC2eY__nh5AvjQb2gUX_5iyiGM!/?1dmy¤t=true&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Fgcps_public_content_enus%2Fpublic_site%2Fschools%2Fback2school%2F2015-16-school-year%2Fgcps-to-operate-136-facilities
HABERSHAM COUNTY http://www.habershamschools.com
First day of school: Aug. 7
Projected first-day enrollment: 6,900
Increase/decrease over last year: About a 50-student increase
New schools, major renovations/additions: No new schools. Will start the school year with a new Agri-Science Facility at Habersham Central High School
HALL COUNTY http://www.hallco.org
First day of school: Aug. 7
Projected first-day enrollment: 26,801
Increase/decrease over last year: 1,000-student increase
New schools, major renovations/additions: Air conditioning added to kitchens at World Language Academy, Flowery Branch Elementary, South Hall Middle, and Davis Middle, meaning all kitchens in schools in the district will now have air conditioning; security cameras added or updated at all elementary schools; work underway on replacing the North Hall High School Performing Arts Complex (completion expected Summer 2016); and technology labs at North Hall Middle, Davis Middle and East Hall Middle have been renovated.
JEFFERSON CITY http://www.jeffcityschools.org
First day of school: July 31
Projected enrollment: 3,275
Increase/Decrease over last year: Increase of 50 students
Additions: The Jefferson High School Arena will be fully open and available to students. There was limited use of the facility during the 2014-15 school year.
LUMPKIN COUNTY http://www.lumpkin.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 6
(No other information provided.)
WHITE COUNTY http://www.white.k12.ga.us
First day of school: Aug. 6
Projected first-day enrollment: 3,900
Increase/Decrease over last year: +25
New schools, major renovations/additions: Renovation of old high school gym completed over the summer; planning to renovate the White Co. High School CTAE classrooms; beginning the process of building a 9th-grade academy at White County High School; planning begins on the addition of an auxiliary gym to support the new students coming to the 9th-grade academy.
Of the private schools in Hall County, Chattahoochee Christian http://www.chattahoocheechristian.org and Heritage Academy http://www.heritagea.org will open for the new school year on Aug. 7; North Georgia Christian http://www.northgeorgiachristian.org, Aug. 10; Gainesville Homeschool Academy http://www.gainesvillehomeschoolacademy.com, Aug. 11; Maranatha Christian Academy http://mcageorgia.com/ , Aug. 14; Lakeview Academy http://www.lakeviewacademy.com , Aug. 19; and Riverside Military Academy http://www.riversidemilitary.com, Aug. 24.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Information on public school systems came from superintendents or other system personnel. Repeated efforts to get information from Lumpkin County were unsuccessful. Start dates for that system was taken from school system website. Start dates for private schools also came from school websites.)
