Back to the books for area students

Beginning today, students in metro Atlanta head back to class for another year of academics, hanging with friends and getting to know new teachers. Of the major metro districts, Cherokee is the first to open its doors. Rockdale and Henry county schools also begin today. Most districts begin Aug. 8; Cobb and Fulton counties start Aug. 15.

To beat the heat on school buses, Cherokee officials are allowing students to bring water bottles until temperatures cool down. All the district's special education buses have air-conditioning and 41 percent of the district's other buses are air-conditioned.

Nearly 1,000 Cherokee students in grades K-7 will begin classes on Aug. 15 at Cherokee Charter Academy, a much-anticipated public school that was turned down by the local school board three times before receiving final approval and funding from the state.

CITY OF ATLANTA

• First day: Monday, Aug. 8
• Projected enrollment: 49,536
• New teacher hires: n/a
• What students and parents can expect this year that is different: New Superintendent Erroll Davis in addition to several new principal appointments.
• Any new schools: No

CHEROKEE

• First day: Monday, Aug. 1
• Projected enrollment: 39,337
• New teachers: 66
• New this year for students: Parents will be able to view daily attendance information on a new family portal website. Grades and assignment information for students in grades 3-12 will also be available on the site. A student portal (formerly eLocker) will allow students to see their grades, attendance and access online productivity tools. Teachers will be able to access a "teacher repository" on the Web where they can access teacher-created projects and resources, such as science flip charts. The completion of a Interactive Whiteboard initiative will increase student access to innovative technology. A cyber safety project is being developed to help students learn more about safe online practices. Students will also be able to search multiple online databases provided by the district through an application called Destiny.
• New schools: Indian Knoll Elementary in Canton
• Major construction projects: Three new schools are under construction: An elementary school on Hunt Road; and two replacement schools, one elementary school in Ball Ground, and one middle school to replace E.T. Booth.

CLAYTON

• First day: Monday, Aug. 8
• Projected enrollment: 47,537 *
• New teachers: At least 150
• New this year for students: Lunch prices have increased. More staff received professional development training over the summer.
• New schools: None
• Major construction projects: None
• * Figure does not include all kindergarteners and other new students.

COBB

• First day: Monday, Aug. 15
• Projected enrollment: 107,493
• New teachers: 400
• New this year for students: The district has a new superintendent, Michael Hinojosa.
• New schools: East Side Elementary School in east Cobb has a new building. Freshmen at North Cobb and South Cobb high schools will start classes in new ninth-grade centers. Freshmen will spend all their time in these centers, which have their own cafeterias and guidance centers. The centers are designed to help ninth-graders transition to high school.
• Major construction projects: The district has some additions at some facilities, but school officials expect construction to be complete by Aug. 15.

DEKALB

• First day: Monday, Aug. 8
• Projected enrollment: 98,300
• New teachers: 350
• New this year for students: Incoming ninth-grade students and parents should know that End-of-Course tests (EOCT) will count for 20% of their course grade. EOCTs will continue to count for 15 percent of the course grade for other high school grades. The Georgia High School Graduation Test has been phased out for incoming ninth-graders.  These changes are statewide.
• New schools: None
• Major construction projects: Addition and renovation of Lakeside High School; renovation of Clarkston High School to add a Fine Arts auditorium and career tech center; the school's HVAC, ceiling tile and lighting replacement will be complete by the start of school; renovations to Stone Mountain High School's engineering lab will be complete; the Chamblee Charter High School replacement is beginning and will be complete in 2013. Temporary classrooms have been placed on site for use until the project is complete.

FULTON

• First day: Monday, Aug. 15; Sept. 8 for pre-k students
• Projected enrollment: n/a
• New teachers: 400
• New this year for students: The school district drafted a petition detailing how system-wide charter status will benefit the district's performance over five years. The petition will be presented to the school board this month and shared in September and October with the community. The school board's final review is slated for November, and if approved, it will be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education. If granted, Fulton will be the first large district in Georgia to become a charter system, which could mean more flexibility in spending, staffing and innovation in its educational model.
• New schools: None
• Major construction projects: Centennial, Creekside and Chattahoochee high schools will have new band and practice rooms.

FORSYTH

• First day: Thursday, Aug. 11
• Projected enrollment: 37,300
• New teachers: 77
• New this year for students: The STEM (science, technology engineering and math) Academy on the campus of Forsyth Central High.
• New schools: None
• Major construction projects: None