On Monday students in Gwinnett, Douglas, Butts, Coweta, Heard, Henry, Lamar and Pike counties, as well as the City of Atlanta, head back to class for another school year.
Many of the students will be returning to districts that have had to cut services, increase class sizes and cut the number of teachers and teacher workdays in order to balance budgets. Some students, including those in Atlanta, will be at new schools with different teachers following a systemwide redistricting over the summer.
Students, teachers and parents will also have to adjust to a new Common Core of standardized academic standards adopted by 47 states, including Georgia. The standards — in math, English and language arts — are intended to provide a common understanding of what students are expected to learn at each grade level, and ensure that students graduate high school able to succeed in the current market.
Also back, is Georgia's sales tax holiday on back-to-school purchases. The tax holiday, which was last offered in 2009, will be Aug. 10-11. Shoppers won't pay sales tax on clothing and shoes less than $100 per item, computers and accessories $1,000 or less and school supplies less than $20 per item.
Other metro Atlanta school systems, including Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties, resume classes Aug. 13.
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