CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — More than 36,000 students are getting up early and heading back to class. It’s the first day of school in Chatham County. School leaders say they’ve been working for months to make sure this year starts strong with changes to security, transportation, and even meals.
Around 5 a.m., early during a rainy Monday morning, more than 300 buses geared up to hit the road. The buses will travel many miles through Chatham County, transporting more than 27,000 students. School leaders say they’ve been prepping for months to make the first day of classes a success for students and staff.
During the summer, SCCPSS made many changes to help students. For the 2025-2026 school year, every school student will see increased safety measures. This includes entry screenings, more officers, and a new panic alert badge worn by staff.
Attendance is also a top priority, and an issue that staff want to change is student attendance, which can seriously affect learning. The district now allows up to five days of remote learning for emergencies and ten days of attendance recovery. However, missing just two days a month qualifies as chronic absenteeism, and that could mean no credit for certain classes. To combat this, officials are launching a “Strive for five” campaign, encouraging five or fewer absences a year…