Back to School Guide 2025-26

Welcome to another year at CCSD!

Whether you are new to our district or are returning for another year, I want to thank each of you for choosing to be part of the Clarke County School District community. I am incredibly honored to have been entrusted by our Board of Education to serve as your Interim Superintendent for the 2025-2026 school year. As I step into this new role, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for an incredible year ahead for our students, schools, and staff.

At the heart of our work is our district’s mission to create educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential. With a renewed commitment to high expectations and excellence in all we do, I look forward to working together to live that mission and realize our vision of becoming a high-performing school district that ensures all students can access opportunities and positively contribute to their communities. Our collective goal is to ensure that students graduate from high school and are ready to Enroll in college, Enlist in the military, or accept Employment in a field that provides job satisfaction along with opportunities for growth and a living wage, while having an amazing experience every day along the way. Your partnership and involvement is essential as we work together to support our students throughout their educational journeys.

I look forward to a year of discovery, excellence, and achievement for all members of our school community as I know we truly are - Better Together! Thank you for joining us and for your hard work and commitment to our district, our community, and most importantly, our children.

Best,

Dr. Jennifer Scott

Interim Superintendent

Clarke County School District

See the graphic 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.

CCSD's individual school supply lists for the 2025-26 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 22 in English, pages 58-59 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 2025-26 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 2025-26 school year starts Wednesday, Aug. 6, and ends Friday, May 22. Click here to view the full academic calendar for the year.

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

• Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day)
• Thursday-Friday, Oct. 9-10, Monday, Oct. 13 (Conference day and student/staff holidays)
• Tuesday, Nov. 4 (District professional development day)
• Nov. 24-28 (Thanksgiving Break)
• Monday, Dec. 22 - Monday, Jan. 5 (Winter Break; students return Tuesday, Jan. 6)
• Monday, Jan. 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
• Monday, Feb. 16 (District professional learning day)
• Thursday-Friday, March 12-13 (Conference day and student/staff holiday)
• April 6-10 (Spring Break).

School daily start and end times will remain the same for the 2025-26 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.

Beginning Monday, July 28, and running through Tuesday, August 5, in-person registration will be held weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the District Office gymnasium, 595 Prince Ave., Athens, to assist those families who may need extra help with the process. Individual appointments will not be available during this time. Signage will be posted in the parking lot directing families to the gym.

Families can also continue to register students online, but are encouraged to do so as soon as possible so that all students are processed and ready to go on the first day of school, August 6.

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

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 by following this link.

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 2025-26 school year.

Parents/guardians of students who ride a bus to and/or from school can go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/transportation and click on the dropdown item labeled, "Search for Bus Routes - Edulog App" or download the Edulog app to find the student’s bus stop. Bus routes will be published and available for viewing on July 28.

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 Aug. 6, we are asking parents/guardians of students who are new to CCSD and/or are 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.

Monthly breakfast and lunch menus are uploaded every month to this page for your convenience. Printable menus are uploaded 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 $5.25 for lunch and $2.50 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) is designed to provide a safe, relaxed, and enjoyable environment for elementary school students who might otherwise be left at home unsupervised during the afternoon. The program operates at all 14 CCSD elementary schools from school dismissal until 6 p.m. on the days school is in session. Activities include sports, recreation, arts and crafts, study and homework time, and a snack.

The cost of the program is $8 per day per child and $6 per day for each additional child in a family. There is also a $10 registration fee for ASP, with a family maximum of $20. Schools typically have an ASP registration table set up at their back-to-school open-house event. Online registration links are now active, and families are encouraged to register before open house.

Click here for more information on ASP, including a list of school site coordinators and their contact information as well as school-specific registration links.

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.

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
• Clarke Middle Health Center
• Classic City Health Center
• Coile Health Center.

Student transportation to the centers for appointments during the school year is also available 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, or one of the following school-based health centers:

• Hilsman Health Center
• Classic City Health Center
• Coile 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.

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 36.

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

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 Infinite Campus, CCSD's student information system. This 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 for updating the contact information in your Parent Portal account.

Don't have an account yet? An Activation Key is required. Follow these directions to set up an account if you already have an Activation Key. Follow these directions if you don't have an Activation Key yet. Having a Parent Portal account allows parents and guardians to access attendance records, class schedules, grades, and assignment information for their students.

If you already have an account but forgot your password and need a reset, use the links on the login page to reset your password or username or to request help. You may also email campus@clarke.k12.ga.us for additional assistance.

Remember: If you have moved, you must update your address with CCSD. Click here for more information.

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.

Print out the sign below, take a photo of your child with it on the first day of school, and tag us on social media (@ClarkeCoSchools) using the hash tag #ccsdfirstday. If you're unable to print, you can also save the image and post with your first-day photos!

CCSD considers the safety and security of our students and staff our highest priority, and utilizes the CCSD Tip Line as a critical tool for us to help ensure that our schools remain safe and promote a welcoming environment for learning. It is also another mechanism for us to celebrate good deeds or achievements by our staff members and students that may have gone unreported but deserve recognition and celebration.

Tips can be submitted online at www.clarke.k12.ga.us/tipline or by phone by dialing 706-353-1737. All tips are anonymous by default, but you do have the option of including your name and contact information. Once received, your tip will be investigated by the CCSD response team. The Tip Line can also be accessed online from the home page of the district website and all school websites.

Remember: If you See Something, Say Something. If you see something of concern online, Don't Repost. Report.

Have a question or concern that you'd like to address? CCSD has put together a matrix of who to reach out to depending on the situation. Please click here to view this information. You can also go to CCSD's main site at clarke.k12.ga.us, go to the "I Want To" tab from the menu at the top of the page, and select “Ask a Question/Submit a Concern.”

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. 14, 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! You can also follow us on Facebook (@ClarkeCoSchools) for the latest updates!

The Pinewoods Library and Learning Center, 1465 Hwy. 29 North, Lot F14, will host its annual Empower Pinewoods Family Expo from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 24. There will be free school supplies, backpacks, books, and diapers and wipes, while supplies last, along health information and other resources.

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.