Habersham schools ready for 7,000 students to return

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — With roughly 7,000 students returning to classrooms Aug. 7, Habersham County school officials say campuses are ready, a new emergency radio system is coming online and several changes are in place to make the start of the school year easier for families.

Superintendent Patrick Franklin gave the Habersham County Board of Education a final back-to-school readiness update during its regular meeting July 27, saying the district’s eight elementary schools, three middle schools, Habersham Central High School, Ninth Grade Academy and Success Academy are prepared for students.

“We’re excited. We’re ready for school to start,” Franklin said. “Students are ready. Our staff’s ready.”

Franklin credited maintenance employees and custodians with preparing campuses throughout the summer.

“I’ve been in all our buildings the past several weeks, and they look great and are ready for our students to return,” he said.

The district also welcomed 60 new teachers Monday. Franklin told the board he spoke to the group earlier in the day and reflected on being in their position 21 years ago.

New radio system boosts coverage

One of the most significant changes students and staff will return to is a new emergency radio system that district officials say dramatically improves coverage across Habersham County and inside school buildings.

Franklin said the previous system provided about 67% coverage and did not work reliably inside many district facilities. The new system covers about 97% of the county and works inside every school building and facility, he said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this will make our students and our schools safer,” Franklin said.

Radios have been installed on the district’s buses and school-based units, with testing underway before the system goes live for the first day of classes.

Assistant Superintendent David Leenman told board members during Thursday’s work session that remaining tests would be completed before school begins.

The school system joined Habersham County’s transition to the new radio system, allowing school personnel and emergency responders to communicate on the same system during an emergency.

Open houses, registration and school supplies

Elementary school open houses are scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 5. Habersham Ninth Grade Academy and Habersham Central also will hold open houses that afternoon.

Middle school open houses are scheduled for 3 p.m. Aug. 6.

Franklin encouraged parents who cannot attend at the scheduled times to contact their child’s principal to arrange another opportunity to visit the school.

The district also has upgraded its centralized registration process. Franklin said parents can now see estimated wait times before arriving, allowing families to better plan when to register students.

Habersham Ready, the district’s school supply initiative launched last year, also will return. Supplies are already in schools for students, Franklin said, with families generally needing to provide backpacks and earbuds.

The district’s nutrition department is preparing for the return of students after distributing more than 100,000 meals through its summer feeding program. Franklin said the district served about 8,000 meals per school day last year and expects similar or higher demand this year.

Board approves Fairview HVAC project

In other business, the board added a Fairview Elementary School HVAC project to Monday’s agenda and unanimously approved a $106,840 contract with Gainesville-based Condition Air Systems.

The project will replace two HVAC units at the school. Leenman presented the recommendation during Thursday’s work session after the district received six bids for the project.

The board also unanimously approved suppliers and vendors for the agriculture department and FFA program, the first reading of a policy covering employee leaves and absences, and the sale of surplus property from the maintenance department.

Two policies received final approval.

The district’s bullying policy prohibits bullying and cyberbullying and outlines procedures for reporting, investigating and disciplining such behavior. Parents or guardians must be notified when administrators determine a student committed an act of bullying or was a victim.

Under the policy, a student in grades 6-12 found to have committed bullying for a third time during the same school year must be assigned to an alternative school.

The board also approved its public participation policy, which generally gives eligible speakers three minutes to address the board during regular meetings. The policy prohibits signs, flags and banners inside the board meeting room and excludes public comments concerning individual students or employees and pending litigation.

The policy also outlines how disruptions will be handled, ranging from a warning to removal from the meeting. Serious or repeated violations can result in an individual being prohibited from speaking during board meetings for a period of time.

The June and fiscal year-end 2026 financial report, which had been scheduled for approval Monday, was tabled until next month while district staff complete the year-end closing process.

Chief Financial Officer Staci Newsome said the delay is routine.

“Everything’s looking good,” Newsome told the board. “Working diligently. Closing out the year.”