HCS Welcomes New School Year Focused on Distraction-Free Learning and Building Bright Futures

HENRY COUNTY, GA – Henry County Schools will welcome new and returning students on July 31 for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Around 6,000 district- and school-based employees are prepared and ready to provide opportunities and access that lead to exceptional outcomes for the anticipated enrollment of nearly 44,000 students across 53 schools.

All HCS students return on Thursday, observing the usual school day hours of 7:35 a.m.-2:15 p.m. for elementary schools, 8:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m. for high schools, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for middle schools.

New School Year, New Focus

HCS will begin the school year under a new theme, “Bright Futures Begin in Henry County Schools,” underscoring the district’s vision to ensure a high-quality, world-class education for every student.

Further enhancing efforts to nurture a high-performing school culture is the district’s recently launched “Focus: ON” campaign aimed at fostering distraction-free learning environments for all students in grades K-12 in support of new Board Policy JCDAF, approved in March.

“We are excited to begin another year of learning and growing in HCS,” said Board Chair Sophe Pope (Dist. 4). “The Board of Education is committed to ensuring all students are prepared to be college-, career-, and life-ready, and one way we achieve this is by establishing distraction-free learning environments during the instructional day. We look forward to making this another successful school year as we partner with our schools and community to inspire students to reach their full potential.”

Board Policy JCDAF, which takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year, prohibits students from using or displaying cellphones, smartwatches, tablets, gaming devices, headphones, and similar technology on school property during the school day without the consent of the principal or his or her designee. Students found in violation of the policy will be subject to the district’s Code of Conduct.

Investing in Highly Effective Teachers, Leaders

This year, the district will welcome four new principals: Rod May at Ola High School, Dr. Bridget Jordan at New Hope Elementary School, Dr. Jarvis Price at Hampton High School, and Travis Chapman at Dutchtown High School.

HCS hired more than 750 faculty and staff this year, including approximately 350 teachers to fill new teaching positions.

The board remains committed to implementing targeted hiring strategies, including establishing competitive compensation packages, in recruiting highly qualified personnel. The starting teacher pay of $53,910 represents an increase of $3,000 over last year’s salary.

The FY26 budget enhances the value of schedules for each job family and includes a 3% salary increase for classified and professional staff. The sound fiscal management of the Board of Education also enabled HCS to recruit staff for seven new support positions, including psychologists and behavior intervention coaches, further enhancing efforts to provide effective mental health and wellness supports for every child.

Boosting Operational Efficiency

Additional efforts to improve operational efficiency included building a new transportation hub on the west side of Henry County to support a fleet of 325 buses that covered more than 1.9 million miles last school year.

The district completed construction on its Transportation Facility West on Nail Drive in McDonough earlier this year and began welcoming staff to the state-of-the-art 32,770-square-foot facility this summer.

This year, HCS has hired 85 new drivers and purchased 33 new air-conditioned, clean-fuel buses. The district’s transportation upgrades enhance efficiency and safety while ensuring access to academic and extracurricular opportunities throughout the school year.

Providing New Resources

The district’s vision and mission are grounded in maintaining high-quality learning environments.

Implemented under the current 2021-2026 Community-Inspired Strategic Plan, new growth and replacement procedures allow for building improvement projects. This summer, four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and the district’s alternative school benefited from furniture replacement based on the new procedures.

Schools districtwide will also benefit from more than $3.5 million in investments in visual arts, music, and theatre programming, and nearly $800,000 invested in new uniforms for high school marching bands under the current Strategic Plan.

Additional Strategic Plan objectives will promote investments in modern and high-tech equipment and resources for a range of K-12 programs, including STEM and World Languages.

Enhancing Safety and Security

The district’s safety and security investments support its academic and operational goals in ensuring a thriving school community. HCS continues to prioritize student and employee safety and security, focusing on three pillars of investment: campus safety investments, conduct and behavior expectations, and safe practices.

The district has invested $26 million in safety and security measures since 2018, including single-point entry and visitor check-in at all schools, a campus alert system, increased cameras in schools and buses, creating a ‘See Something, Say Something’ Tip Line (770-220-7009), employing campus safety monitors to maintain ongoing review of the physical security of each school, and adding school resource officers to bring the SRO unit to 39 officers and counting in partnership with the Henry County Police Department.

Community Inspired, Community Empowered

From enhancing learning environments to targeting highly qualified personnel to boosting safety security, the Henry County Board of Education has demonstrated its commitment to the community’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations as captured in the district’s current Strategic Plan, which is approaching its final year.

Two noteworthy milestones this year, based on Strategic Plan objectives, were the groundbreaking ceremony for Henry County STEM High School and the launch of the Henry County Public Schools Foundation in February.

Henry County STEM High School is a direct response to the community’s desire for a robust STEM education and is scheduled to enroll students beginning fall 2027. The start of construction on the state-of-the-art STEM specialty school marks a significant step toward the board’s goal to become a leader in providing STEM educational opportunities.

The district established HCPSF to enhance educational opportunities for all students and teachers through fundraising and community engagement. Since its inception in February, the foundation has secured donations through the community’s generous support of its inaugural “Stuff the Bus” and “Give First” campaigns, and other giving opportunities.

“The beginning of the school year is an exciting time,” said Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “Families and students are not only preparing for the first day of school, but also for the future. Fueled by the visionary leadership of our board and the community’s voice as articulated through our ambitious Strategic Plan, HCS students have incredible opportunities, whatever their interests, and options to pursue advanced coursework, dual enrollment, and various career pathways. Every day, Henry County Schools is preparing students to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed, and we celebrate those already in college, the military, or the workforce whose contributions prove that Bright Futures Begin in Henry County Schools.”