Habersham schools highlight mentoring, student success

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Habersham County school leaders highlighted student mentoring, graduation success and distraction-free learning initiatives during Thursday’s Board of Education work session, pointing to programs they say are helping students stay engaged and on track for graduation.

From elementary mentoring programs to workforce certifications for alternative education students, administrators spent much of the meeting outlining efforts designed to support students academically, socially and emotionally as the new school year approaches.

Mentoring program continues to grow

Todd Colwell, executive director of HUB of Habersham, updated board members on the nonprofit’s Teach One Lead One mentoring program, which served 209 students across 10 Habersham County schools during the 2025-26 school year.

The organization graduated 149 students from the program and hopes to eventually mentor about 400 students annually.

Colwell said mentoring has become increasingly important as students face growing social isolation.

“Students are more isolated for a number of reasons and factors than they probably ever have been,” Colwell said. “Why we mentor is to kind of bridge that gap.”

Teach One Lead One pairs students with trained adult mentors while emphasizing leadership, character development and positive relationships. HUB also offers additional youth programs outside the school day.

According to Colwell, 81% of elementary students participating in the program demonstrated growth in at least one developmental area during the school year, while upper-grade students also showed measurable gains.

“When you just focus on excellence, and also just really the heart of connecting with kids and connecting to one another, that mentoring ends up resulting in better attendance, better academics, better attitude,” he said.

Secondary schools emphasize distraction-free learning

Secondary school administrators also discussed how Georgia’s distraction-free learning initiative will look across the district this school year.

At the Habersham Ninth Grade Academy, Principal Maria Waters said students already have been following cellphone restrictions for several years.

“We’ve been doing this,” Waters said. “There’s nothing new for us.”

Students will continue keeping phones powered off in backpacks or classroom storage throughout the school day.

Waters said the academy’s focus remains preparing freshmen for graduation from their first day on campus. Administrators begin talking with students about graduation during the annual walk into Raider Stadium, emphasizing that their high school journey begins there and should end with a diploma four years later.

She also reported that 100% of ninth-grade students earned at least five credits during the 2025-26 school year, continuing a trend she said has helped strengthen graduation rates across the district.

Habersham Central High School will see more noticeable changes.

Principal Dr. Adam Bagwell said phones have long been prohibited during classroom instruction, but students will no longer be permitted to use them in hallways or the cafeteria during the school day.

“I’m kind of old school,” Bagwell said. “I like face-to-face conversations and seeing kids interact with one another in the hallways.”

Bagwell said administrators will take a common-sense approach to implementation and focus on helping students understand expectations rather than punishing violations.

“It’ll make our school a better place,” he said. “I think it’ll make our campus safer.”

Schools celebrate student achievement

Administrators also highlighted academic and extracurricular accomplishments from the past school year.

Bagwell said Habersham Central graduated 450 seniors in the Class of 2026 and expects the school’s graduation rate to remain around 97% when the state releases official figures this fall.

He also noted all 13 students enrolled in Advanced Placement Research earned scores of 4 or 5 on the national exam, while another 13 graduates earned Georgia’s Seal of Biliteracy.

More than 400 students participated in athletics during the school year, including the school’s inaugural girls flag football team, which advanced to the second round of the state playoffs. Habersham Central also plans to launch a computer science career pathway, a Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy and a student food pantry this school year.

At the Habersham Success Academy, co-principals Donna Scott and Vickie Martin highlighted continued growth in the district’s alternative education program.

The academy graduated 27 students during the 2025-26 school year, while administrators credited the adoption of the TRAILS curriculum with increasing course completions by 15% and helping nine additional students earn diplomas.

The school also expanded work-based learning opportunities and partnered with North Georgia Technical College to provide workforce training.

Martin said 18 students earned industry certifications after completing 165 hours of instruction in areas including OSHA safety, forklift operation and hand and power tool safety.

“We’re already getting the program on again, and we expect to have more certifications this year,” Martin said.

Scott said the Success Academy’s individualized approach has helped students overcome academic and personal challenges.

“My child would not have made it without the Success Academy,” Scott recalled one parent telling school staff after her student graduated.

Scott thanked the Board of Education for continuing to support the alternative school program.

“It is a calling for us,” she said. “We just want to continue … to take care of these kids.”