Kindergartner Lewins Walter was feeling good about starting school at Glennwood Elementary in Decatur Tuesday morning. But for his parents, it felt a little strange to take their son to school on July 30 when the high temperature hovered around 90 degrees.
“I’m used to school starting like, middle of August,” said his father, Lewins Walter Sr. “This July (start) is kind of cutting our summer short but hopefully it’s for the best.”
About 20,000 metro Atlanta students who attend City Schools of Decatur and Rockdale County Public Schools began school Tuesday.
The July 30 start date is earlier than all but a handful of Georgia’s public school districts. Students in Newton County, southeast of Atlanta, started on Monday. And a few charter schools began even earlier this month. Most of the state’s public school students go back to school later this week. A few districts begin next week.
School calendars fall under local control in Georgia. Many districts start earlier to enable all end-of-the-semester testing to finish up before children depart for the Christmas break. They also feature nine-week summers, a two-week winter break and multiple breaks throughout the year.
Students in Decatur will have a weeklong break in November for Thanksgiving and April for spring break, plus weeks off in September and February.
“We do believe in educating the whole child, and providing work-life balance for all of our staff,” said Decatur Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker.
Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC
Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC
In Rockdale, Lorraine Elementary fifth grader Dylan Pearman-Singleton had a busy summer. He read books and participated in tutoring and the Kumon math and reading programs, all in pursuit of a big goal.
”He is excited about making the honor roll this year, because he has not done that yet,” Cyndi Pearman said of her 10-year-old.
While she is happy he’s returning to class, she knows she’s going to miss him, she said.
”I’m excited for him, but I’m sad for me because he is growing so fast,” she said. “Like fifth grade already. My goodness.”
While their parents reflected on how quickly time passes, students in Decatur on Tuesday scanned the crowd outside the front door for their friends. They were eager to reconnect after the summer — though some were a little sleepy.
“I’m sort of happy, sort of not” for the school year to start, said second grader Connor Loya. “I don’t like having to wake up early.”
By 8:22 a.m., students were seated in their classrooms with pencils or crayons in hand, ready to learn.
Staff writer Vanessa McCray contributed to this article.
Here’s when the new school year begins in other public school districts in metro Atlanta.
Thursday, Aug. 1: Atlanta Public Schools, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Douglas, Henry, Forsyth and Marietta.
Friday, Aug. 2: Buford
Monday, Aug. 5: DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett
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