Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb and 22 other Georgia school districts return to classroom

August 1st, 2024

On Thursday, Aug. 1, thousands of students return to class in two dozen school districts across North Georgia and the metro Atlanta area. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

On Thursday morning, thousands of students throughout North Georgia and the metro Atlanta area returned to the classroom.

The returning school districts include Atlanta Public Schools; Marietta, Jefferson and Social Circle City Schools; plus Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Douglas, Floyd, Forsyth, Greene, Henry, Jackson, Morgan, Paulding, Pickens, Upson and Walton Counties.

Students in metro Atlanta school districts DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Newton are scheduled to return on Aug. 5.

While most students will return to similar surroundings, lesson plans and educators, some will experience more changes than when they left in May.

In June, Marietta City Schools voted 7-0 to block cell phone usage by requiring students at two of their schools to place their phones in Yondr pouches at the beginning of each school day.

“Cell phones, smartwatches, and social media have significant impacts on our students’ learning and mental health,” said Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera in a press release from the district. “School should be a place to learn and grow; that can’t happen if students are distracted by their phones. This solution will create a more focused and supportive educational environment.”

Third-grade teacher Kelly Hobby leads her class in a phonetic exercise at A.L. Burruss Elementary in Marietta, Georgia. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Henry County Schools is opening the doors to Birch Creek Elementary, the district’s 29th elementary school and their first new school in over 10 years, according to officials.

Birch Creek will be led by educator Quavious Wright, who previously served as vice principal of the district’s Wesley Lake Elementary School.

“I am humbled and excited to be named the inaugural principal of Birch Creek Elementary School,” said Wright in a 2023 press release. “I genuinely believe in the ‘it takes a village’ approach when supporting students. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to start new traditions and establish a culture of collaboration to create the best learning environment possible for our students.”

Henry County Schools will also soon see a new superintendent take over operations. Miami-Dade Deputy Superintendent John Pace III was named the sole finalist for the position on July 23. Due to state law, the board will have to wait 14 days before officially voting on appointing the Pace to the position.

As deputy superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Pace assisted in overseeing the daily operation of 350 K-12 schools and technical colleges serving more than 240,000 students, according to a district press release.

“Thank you to the Henry County Board of Education for this opportunity. I am humbled and honored to be considered and selected as a finalist for the Superintendent of Henry County Schools,” said Dr. Pace in a press release. “I look forward to working with the students, parents, employees, and community in the continued ‘Pursuit of Exceptional’ in HCS.”

Atlanta Public Schools students return to class, along with over a dozen other school districts in metro Atlanta, on Aug. 1, 2024. (Nick Nesmith/WABE)

Atlanta Public Schools will also kickoff its new school year under the leadership of new Superintendent Bryan Johnson, who officially takes on his new role on Aug. 5.

Johnson comes to APS after serving as executive vice chancellor and chief strategy officer at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. He was officially voted into the position last month after a lengthy search to replace former Superintendent Lisa Herring.

“This is an important moment for me and I don’t take it lightly,” Johnson said during a June board meeting. “Our goal is to be the best urban school district in the country, and I firmly believe that we are positioned and poised to do just that.”

With Johnson at its helm, APS will pilot a new student mental health program that will be placed in five schools during the 2024-2025 school year.

Organized in association with student advocacy nonprofit group Our Turn, the program “offers a channel for students to voice their concerns, propose initiatives, and collaborate with the Atlanta School Board to implement effective mental health programs and resources tailored to their needs,” according to its website.

The five schools that will carry the pilot have yet to be announced.