Back-to-school at-a-glance

Here is a quick glance at the each public school system in the immediate Gainesville area and opening dates for the private schools in Hall County: DAWSON COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 10 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 3,451 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: yes *NEW SCHOOLS: no and no major additions/renovations over the summer WHITE COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Friday, Aug. 7 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 3,900 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: slight increase *NEW SCHOOLS: no and no major additions/renovations over the summer HABERSHAM COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Friday, Aug. 7 *EXPECT ENROLLMENT: 7,000 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: increase *NEW SCHOOLS: no and no major additions/renovations over the summer FORSYTH COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 10 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 33,814 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: 4.2% increase *NEW SCHOOLS: Five: Brookwood Elementary, Whitlow Elementary, Haw Creek Elementary, Lakeside Middle, and Lambert High. More than have ever been opened at one time in the county's history. GWINNETT COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 10 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 158,963 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: 1,000+ *NEW SCHOOLS: Nine new and one replacement: Starling Elementary, Woodward Mill Elementary, Bay Creek Middle, Couch Middle, North Gwinnett Middle, Twin Rivers Middle, Archer High, Mountain View High, Dyer Elementary (a replacement school). *ALSO NEW: additions to Chesney Elementary, Berkmar High, Dacula High, Maxwell High School of Technology JEFFERSON CITY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 3 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 2,710 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: 80 *NEW SCHOOLS: no *ADDITIONS: no major renovations over the summer LUMPKIN COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Friday, Aug. 7 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 3,910 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: yes *NEW SCHOOLS: no, but a few schools were renovated over the summer: Lumpkin County Elementary's gym was renovated with new flooring and insulation and one building on that campus got a new roof. Long Branch Elementary has a renovated playground with new surfaces. BARROW COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 3 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 12,500+ *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: about three percent *NEW SCHOOLS: no, but the Early Learning Center received a new roof over the summer; a new transportation complex is under construction and is expected to be finished by the second semester 2010 and will include office space and eight bus maintenance bays with lifts. BANKS COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 17 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: Just under 3,025 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: yes *NEW SCHOOLS: no and no major renovations over the summer. GAINESVILLE *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Tuesday, Aug. 11 7 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 6,525-6,575 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: yes. 150-200 students *NEW SCHOOLS: New middle school. The old middle school will become the Woods Mill Academy or Woods Mill Academy and will undergo some renovating over the course of the school year. Renovations were completed this summer at the high school vocational building, which includes "industry standard culinary arts facilities and construction labs." HALL COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday Aug. 10 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: about 25,000 - the same as last year *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: no *NEW SCHOOLS: one new building, the new Flowery Branch High School on Spout Springs Road (across from Spout Springs Elementary). The original plan had been for this new facility to be the county's seventh middle and high school district. But because of stagnant growth, the school board decided to move the student population of the current FBHS to the new facility, which has a larger student capacity, move the Davis Middle students to the current FBHS facility, which has a larger capacity than Davis, and finally, to shift the student population from South Hall Middle to the current Davis facility to allow SHMS to undergo need renovation, which could take two-plus years. Hall County will also operate its first program of choice aimed at gifted students - the Da Vinci Academy, which will welcome 120 gifted 6th- and 7th-graders from throughout the system this fall. BUFORD *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Friday, Aug. 7 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 3,045 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: small one *NEW SCHOOLS: no but Buford will open a "significant" addition to the high school... including a state-of-the-art healthcare services lab, which will allow the system to implement a Career and Technical Education program. JACKSON COUNTY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Thursday, Aug. 6 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 7,000-7,100 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: small one *NEW SCHOOLS: no but there are plans for a major renovation/addition project during the school year at North Jackson Elementary with construction expected to begin in late August. COMMERCE CITY *FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Monday, Aug. 3 *EXPECTED ENROLLMENT: 1,550 *INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR: small one *NEW SCHOOLS: no but a new high school is under construction which will replace the old high school facility Among the private schools in Hall County, classes begin August 7 at Trinity Day School and Chattahoochee Christian School; August 10 at Maranatha Christian School; August 11 at Lakeview Academy; August 12 at North Georgia Christian School; August 17 at Riverside Military Academy and Brenau Academy; August 19 at Jubilee Christian Academy; and September 2 at Hopewell Christian Academy. Brenau is boasting something new this year called Early College. (See separate story.)