Back to School Guide 2026-27

Dear Clarke County students and families,

There is nothing like the feeling of a new school year – the anticipation of seeing familiar faces, the excitement of new possibilities ahead, and the opportunity to make a fresh start. I am particularly excited to start this new school year having been named as your Superintendent effective July 1.

I know summer is still in full swing, and I hope you are enjoying every minute of it, but it’s also time to start thinking ahead to the first day of our new year together! Our goal is to have every student in school ready to learn when the bell rings on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 5.

With that goal in mind, we’ve put together this Back to School Guide to help you prepare. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to get “first day ready” – school supply information, transportation details, registration reminders, open house information, family resources, and more to help make your family’s transition back to school smooth and stress‑free.

We are entering this year with great momentum and a shared commitment to excellence. Our mission and vision guide every step we take, and we are raising the bar for teaching, learning, and student success across our district. I cannot wait to see our classrooms filled, our hallways buzzing with energy, and our students stepping into an exciting new year of growth and learning.

Thank you for your partnership and for trusting us with your children. Enjoy the rest of your summer—and use this guide to help your family get ready for an incredible first day.

We’ll see you on August 5.

Let’s make it a great year, together.

Dr. Jennifer Scott

Superintendent, Clarke County School District

See the graphic above and text below for a list of school open-house dates and times, along with an explanation for schools with different time frames for different students and families. These events are also posted to each school's website home page in the Events section.Contact your student's school for additional information.

Early Learning Centers

ELC East – Monday, Aug. 3, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

ELC West – Monday, Aug. 3, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Elementary Schools

Barnett Shoals Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 3-5 p.m.

Barrow Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 1:30-3 p.m.

Bettye H. Holston Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4:30-6 p.m.

Cleveland Road Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

Fowler Drive Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m. (new families at 3:30 p.m.)

Gaines Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 3-5 p.m.

Howard B. Stroud Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

J.J. Harris Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m. (new families at 3:30 p.m.)

Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 3-5 p.m.

Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 3:30-5 p.m. (Pre-K and all new families, 3 p.m.)

Timothy Road Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, noon – 2 p.m.

Whit Davis Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 3-5 p.m.

Whitehead Road Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

Winterville Elementary – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

Middle Schools

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle – Monday, Aug. 3, 9 a.m. – noon

Clarke Middle – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

Coile Middle – Monday, Aug. 3, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Hilsman Middle – Monday, Aug. 3, 4-6 p.m.

High Schools

Cedar Shoals High School

• Freshmen and Families – Monday, Aug. 3, 9-11 a.m.
• New Students and Families – Monday, Aug. 3, 2-4 p.m.
• All Grades Open House – Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6-7:30 p.m.

Clarke Central High School

• Freshmen and Families– Monday, Aug. 3, 9-10:30 a.m.
• New Students and Families – Monday, Aug. 3, 1-2 p.m.
• All Grades Open House – Thursday, Aug. 20, 6-7:30 p.m.

Classic City High School

• All Grades Open House – Monday, Aug. 3, 1-3 p.m.

Other Campuses

Athens Community Career Academy

• All Grades Open House – Monday, Aug. 3, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

CCSD Learning Center

• All Grades Open House – Monday, Aug. 3 – 1:30-3 p.m.

CCSD's individual school supply lists for the 2026-27 school year are provided through TeacherLists. Go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/supplies to see links for each school's grade-by-grade supply lists. You can easily print the lists out and take them to or order online from the retailer of your choice.

Items on each list are marked either required or optional. Please note that some schools will be providing all or most supplies for students this year. At the high school level, individual teachers will communicate any supply needs. For clarification on any items on the lists, please reach out directly to your child's school.

At a minimum, all CCSD students must follow the district dress code, outlined in the Code of Student Conduct (page 23 in English, pages 62-63 in Spanish). Individual schools, at their discretion and with the approval of the Superintendent and the Board of Education, are allowed to adopt more stringent dress codes, including uniform requirements.

The following schools listed below will have uniform requirements in place for the 2026-27 school year. Click on the links for additional information. All elementary and middle schools have their dress codes posted to their websites under the "For Families" tab. High schools refer families to the dress code portion of the Code of Student Conduct, while the CCSD Learning Center (middle and high school) has a dress code outlined below.

School uniforms are available locally in stores — typically at Walmart, Target, Dollar General, Old Navy, Academy Sports, and others. If your student attends a school where uniforms are required but you are experiencing a hardship, please contact your school’s principal and/or family engagement specialist.

Schools with Uniform Requirements

Bettye H. Holston Elementary

Fowler Drive Elementary

Gaines Elementary

Howard B. Stroud Elementary

J.J. Harris Elementary

Whitehead Road Elementary

Coile Middle

Hilsman Middle

CCSD Learning Center: All students (middle and high school) are required to wear purple, white, or black polo shirts. Pants may be any color. Middle school students are required to wear khaki or black pants.

The 2026-27 school year starts Wednesday, August 5, and ends Wednesday, May 19. View the full academic calendar here!

Students at all grade levels will be out of school on the following days during the year:

• Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day)
• Thursday-Friday, Oct. 15-16, Monday, Oct. 19 (Conference day and student/staff holidays)
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 (Student and staff holiday)
• Nov. 23-27 (Thanksgiving Break)
• Monday, Dec. 21 - Friday, Jan. 1 (Winter Break; students and staff return Monday, Jan. 4)
• Monday, Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
• Monday, Feb. 15 (Teacher planning day)
• Thursday-Friday, March 11-12 (Conference day and student/staff holiday)
• April 5-9 (Spring Break)

School daily start and end times will remain the same for the 2026-27 school year as shown below. You can find individual school contact information here.

Elementary Schools/ELCs: 7:40 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Middle Schools: 8:35 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

High Schools: 8:45 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.

Classic City High School and ACCA: 8:30 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.

CCSD Learning Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Student enrollment can be done entirely online from the comfort of your home. However, if you need help, please visit us in the Student Registration Center at the District Office, located at 595 Prince Avenue, Athens, and we will be happy to serve you! You may schedule an appointment ahead of time or visit us during business hours (8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday until July 16; 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Monday, July 20).

Proof of parent or legal guardian identification and residency, as well as your child's birth certificate and immunization records, are required to successfully enroll your student.

For more information on student enrollment — including the online application, all required documents, and appointment scheduling — go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/registration. If you have additional questions, please call us at 706-546-7721 or email registration@clarke.k12.ga.us.

While we encourage you to enroll your new student as soon as possible to beat the late-summer rush and stress, we will be here to help you if need a little extra time gathering your information!

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, July 27-28 and 30-31, come see us at the District Office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. - no appointment necessary!

Have you moved or are you moving this summer to an address that places your student in another school zone? Please make sure you update your address with the district as soon as possible through Parent Portal using these instructions.

A street-by-street index of our school zones can be found here. Any families that received an out-of-zone letter must update their address with the district office in order for their students to be enrolled for the 2026-27 school year.

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, CCSD is changing its bus tracking platform and app to EZArrival. This new app will provide parents and guardians with more functionality and a history of all notifications, not just messages. It also comes with multiple language options and a more robust help section, with solutions to many common issues. EZArrival will continue to give parents and guardians access to:

• student bus numbers for morning and/or afternoon routes
• scheduled pickup and/or drop-off times
• alerts as the bus nears your student's scheduled bus stop.

Bus routes are scheduled to go live and be available for viewing on Monday, July 27.

Download the EZArrival mobile app on your iPhone or in the Google Play Store.

Go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/transportation for more information about the new system and how to use it. Click on the dropdown menu titled "Search for Bus Routes and Schools."

Click here for more information on the CCSD Transportation Department. For questions, you can call the Transportation Department at 706-548-6971 anytime from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

As we prepare for the start of school on August 5, we are asking parents/guardians of students who are new to CCSD and/or in need of transportation this coming school year to complete this short form (directly below or by clicking this link) to help us with planning for the year. For families with multiple students, please complete one form per student.

This coming school year, CCSD has been approved for and will continue to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which has allowed us to provide all Clarke County students breakfast and lunch at no cost since 2015.

All students enrolled in CCSD, regardless of household income, will have access to free meals while at school. It is our hope that by continuing to participate in CEP, we not only provide all students with access to nutritious meals, but that we also eliminate the financial burden of paying for school meals for the families in our community.

Breakfast and lunch menus for the following week are posted to this page every Friday afternoon, and printable monthly menus are also added for the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as for the early learning centers. You can also find daily updates on the CCSD app.

• Download for Android
• Download for iPhone

While breakfast and lunch meals are free for students, students wishing to purchase single items, such as milk or juice, from the menu must have cash on hand or money in their student meal account. These purchases are considered to be a la carte, and they cannot be charged. Please make sure your student has money in their account for these types of purchases. Parents are encouraged to use MyPaymentsPlus to make payments online to their child's meal account using a credit card or debit card. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover are accepted.

Visiting adults, including substitute teachers, can purchase meals in the school cafeteria at a price of $5.50 for lunch and $2.75 for breakfast. Only cash payment is accepted, and exact change is preferred.

Click here for more information about CCSD Nutrition, including special meal accommodations, school cafeteria health inspection scores, and other frequently asked questions.

The After-School Program (ASP) provides a safe, relaxed, and enriching environment for all CCSD elementary school students. ASP is open to all students, grades PK-5, every day that school is in session, including the first day of school.

Beginning with the start of the 2026-27 school year, ASP will be moving away from the ProCare platform and will be managed through Parent Portal.

Registration

• Students who participated in ASP last year are already registered! Your credit or balance will be transferred to Parent Portal in Infinite Campus.
• You may register your new student for ASP using this brief online registration form. You will need your student’s six-digit student ID. If you do not know or do not have your student ID, you may still use the form and follow the instructions indicated on the registration form.
• There is no registration fee for 2026-27!

Tuition

All ASP tuition must be paid at least a week in advance. If you have a balance from last year, you must pay the balance before your student will be allowed to participate in ASP.

• $8 per day for one student
• $6 per day for each additional student in the household
• CCSD employees receive a discount for each student. The discount will be applied at the time of registration.

Payments

Payments can be made online through Parent Portal or via cash or check at the school. Directions about accessing Parent Portal for the first time can be found here. The portal will be available to accept payments beginning July 25, 2026.

Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) offer middle and elementary school students a broad array of services, programs, and activities designed to complement the regular academic program.

21st Century programming at CCSD is funded through a federal grant and is available at each of our four middle schools and three elementary schools – Fowler Drive Elementary, Gaines Elementary, and J.J. Harris Elementary.

Activities include youth development activities, counseling programs, arts, music, physical fitness, wellness, financial literacy, environmental literacy, and career and technical programs. 21st CCLC programs also offer families opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their child’s education, including literacy and related educational development opportunities.

Click here for more information on 21st CCLC, including registration forms, program handbooks, and a list of site coordinators and their contact information.

CCSD employs a team of school nurses — at least one dedicated to every school site — to assist with meeting the medical needs of our students. Our goal is to increase student achievement by promoting and advocating for the health, wellness, and safety of all students. Click here for information on CCSD Nursing Services, including contact information for every school nurse.

CCSD has four school-based health centers (SBHCs) that are open to students and staff stationed throughout the district. The SBHCs provide sick and wellness visits, immunizations, physicals, and other services. Locations include:

• Hilsman Health Center - Open all summer
• Clarke Middle Health Center - Reopens July 31 for sports physicals
• Classic City Health Center - Open all summer
• Coile Health Center - Reopens August 3 on normal hours

Student transportation to the centers for appointments during the school year is also available on a needs basis upon parent/guardian request. Click on the links above for hours and additional information about each of the centers.

Under state law, all students who attend school must have a correct and up-to-date immunization form in their file at school. Students without up-to-date immunizations and records may be at risk of being unenrolled from school.

For more information, go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/nursing and, under Important Information, click the dropdown item labeled, "Immunizations."

If your student is in need of an updated immunization, an appointment may be made with a primary care doctor, the Clarke County Health Department, Athens Neighborhood Health Center, or a CCSD school-based health center.

The State of Georgia allows school districts to bill Medicaid for different services, including nursing. Families will receive information on this process at the beginning of the school year and can direct any questions to their school nurse.

With a new school year quickly approaching, it's a great time for parents and guardians to make sure all of their contact information is up to date in Parent/Portal Infinite Campus, CCSD's student information system.

Having a Parent Portal account allows parents and guardians to access attendance records, class schedules, grades, and assignment information for their students. Making sure all of your contact information is up to date in the Parent Portal will help ensure that CCSD and our schools send out communication notices to the correct home addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Follow these directions to update the contact information in your household.

Follow these directions to update your home address.

If you already have an account, but forgot your username or password, use the links on the Parent Portal login page (as seen below) to reset your username or password.

To create an account, an Activation Key is required.

Need an Activation Key? Click HERE for instructions.

Already have an Activation Key? Click HERE for instructions.

You may also email campus@clarke.k12.ga.us for additional assistance.

Every school year, CCSD publishes an updated Code of Student Conduct, in English and Spanish, which includes behavioral expectations for students, detailed explanations of specific behaviors that are not permitted and their associated consequences, and information on proactive approaches that schools will utilize while handling conflict. The Spanish version begins on page 37.

Please click the buttons below to review the code and then complete the form acknowledging receipt and review of the code for each student.

At CCSD, we're creating distraction-free classrooms where every student can thrive. In accordance with state law and Clarke County Board of Education policy, beginning with the start of this school year, all elementary and middle school students (grades PK-8) will not be allowed to access cell phones or other personal electronic devices at all during the school day (bell to bell).

Phones and devices will also be restricted at the high school level, as students will not be able to use them during instructional periods and will be required to follow school-based storage procedures during class.

Exceptions apply for students who have a documented Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 plan, or medical plan that allows for and/or requires the use of a personal device.

Students may use devices on school buses and other forms of CCSD transportation in a safe and silent manner.

For more information, go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/distractionfree.

CCSD considers the safety of our students and staff and the security of our buildings our highest priority, and we believe that learning occurs best in cultures where students and staff feel a sense of belonging, safety, and support.

As part of our continued commitment to ensuring that our schools remain welcoming and safe environments for all, we are pleased to introduce the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) to CCSD students, staff, and families.

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is a platform offered by Sandy Hook Promise, a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating safer schools and communities by empowering students and adults to learn and recognize the warning signs of potential violence and self-harm and help prevent tragedies. Through CCSD’s partnership with Sandy Hook Promise, the “Say Something” program teaches students how to identify signs of distress and harmful behaviors in their peers and emphasizes the importance of acting immediately by talking to a trusted adult or using the anonymous reporting system. The system provides students, staff, and families with a secure way to report safety concerns and share information about individuals who threaten or display at-risk behaviors, whether at school, at home, in the community, or on social media. Users can access 24/7, confidential support through the SS-ARS website, mobile app, or phone and text hotline.

How Does It Work?

Students, staff, and the general public can submit a tip 24/7 about concerning or threatening behaviors in one of three ways:

1. Directly through the website at saysomething.net. The direct reporting link for the general public can be found here. Students and staff will use a private link that they can access from their CCSD Clever account.
2. Download the Say Something app on your smartphone - Google Play / Apple Store.
3. Call 1-844-572-9669. You can also text “TIP” to 79775.

Every submission goes directly to a trained crisis counselor who gathers details and shares the information and next steps with the school safety response team and law enforcement (as needed). Every CCSD school has in place a trained “Say Something” response team, including counselors, administrators, and other support staff.

The Clarke County Board of Education welcomes community feedback. Here are ways you can share your voice:

• Contact BOE Members: Click here to view a list of the BOE members and their contact information.
• Find Your Board Member: Use Athens-Clarke County's online voter information tool at www.accgov.com/voterinfo to enter your address and find your BOE member and your other elected representatives.
• Attend a Meeting: The board's next scheduled meeting is Thursday, Aug. 13, with the work session beginning at 5 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. All meetings are held in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the CCSD administrative offices building, located at 595 Prince Ave. in Athens. The public is invited to attend meetings in person. Meetings are also streamed live and are available for on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube channel. Click here for the board meeting schedule.
• Agendas: Click here to access board meeting agendas.
• Board Briefs: Click to read the "Board Briefs" overview from meetings.
  
• Public Comments: Click here for information on how to sign up to speak at a BOE meeting.
• Review Policies for Review: View and comment on district policies pending public review.

Please note: Information about back-to-school community events and resources will be added to this section of the Back to School Guide as it becomes available in the lead-up to the start of school, so check back regularly! See a running list below. You can also follow us on Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools) for the latest updates! If you would like to add your organization's event to the list, please email communications@clarke.k12.ga.us.

• Thursday, July 30: The Athens-Clarke County Police Department will host a Summer Jam from 5:30-8 p.m. at Walker Park, 200 Trail Creek Street, Athens. The event will include back-to-school resources, inflatables, games, a splash pad (free for the first 50 children, then $1 per child afterward), and other activities.
• Saturday, August 1: The Clarke County Sheriff's Office will host its annual Back to School Haircut Bash on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its training facility, 2900 County Farm Road, Athens. Families are invited to register their children to receive free haircuts or simple braids before the new school year begins. Students will also have access to school supplies, food, and community resources while supplies last. Haircut space is limited, so please register in advance using this form.

As part of a collaboration between CCSD and the Athens Regional Library System, the PLAY Card account provides each CCSD student with free materials (books, magazines, etc.) and online resources from the public library to help your child succeed in school, along with fun resources to support a lifelong love of reading. You and your child can check out materials at the libraries by entering their student ID number.

Go to the official CCSD website www.clarke.k12.ga.us for news, information, important updates like school closures for weather events, and much more! You can also follow us on social media (@ClarkeCoSchools) on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

You can also download the official CCSD app to access the mobile version of the website and get important alerts from the district and your child's school.

• Download for Android: https://aptg.co/xQ_qX1
• Download for iPhone: https://aptg.co/zCh8gX.

This Back to School Guide is a special edition of the district's weekly "Better Together" digital newsletter, produced in English and Spanish by CCSD's Department of Public Relations and Communications. The newsletter will be published every Friday throughout the school year, and the links will be emailed and texted to all families through the district's mass notification system. You can also go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/newsletter to read the current edition and archived editions for the school year.

Links are emailed and texted using the contact information we have on hand through our Parent Portal, so be sure to sign up for an account or make sure your contact information is up to date.