District says schools ready for Day 1; board presses staff on Church Street construction and summer program attendance

District leaders told the Clayton County Board of Education on July 28 that classrooms, schedules and key operational systems are prepared for the upcoming school year, while board members pressed staff about an ongoing renovation at Church Street and summer program attendance shortfalls.

Superintendent Anthony Smith introduced a leadership-retreat recap and instructional-readiness briefing that district staff said prioritized literacy, lesson planning and collaborative professional learning. Dr. Colbert and Dr. Young (presenters identified in the meeting) reviewed summer-school operations, summer-bridge plans for rising sixth and ninth graders, and a new K–1 instructional model trained in Orton-Gillingham (OG) methods for early literacy.

Summer school and enrollment Staff reported 14 summer-school sites this year and said summer learning cost the district approximately $1,600,000 (figure provided by staff during the presentation). District presenters said enrollment often exceeded daily attendance; presenters said average daily attendance in many cases was about half of planned enrollment, and recommended staff consider strategies to reduce no-shows. One board member suggested a refundable minimum enrollment fee (example mentioned: $25), and staff said they would bring a proposal to the committee and return to the board with specifics.

Facility readiness and Church Street Board members raised safety and access concerns about Church Street, reporting a visit this summer that found no running water, use of portable toilets and uneven ground at trailer access points. Staff responded that the Church Street project is a phased construction effort and that interior renovations are substantially complete. Staff said the front sidewalk and canopy had been installed and were scheduled to be ready for community access on Monday; landscaping and continued exterior work will carry on through the year. Staff also said three locations were temporarily relocated while summer-site work — including final asphalt paving and courtyard finishing — was completed.

Technology and devices District technology staff said a major change for the school year is that devices for students in grades 3–8 will remain at school rather than going home daily; high school students (grades 9–12) will continue their existing take-home practice. Technology staff said devices are purchased with accidental damage protection and that theft insurance is in place for student devices. They explained the district does not generally add broader liquid-damage or extended-insurance policies because the cost would exceed the replacement value; in those cases the district maintains a policy for fees or replacement when damage is beyond economic repair.

Student supports and operational readiness Presenters reviewed student-support preparations: immunization reminders for seventh- and eleventh-grade vaccine requirements; expanded transportation to help students experiencing homelessness attend activities; school-based grocery markets at multiple campuses (Forest Park Middle, Jonesboro Middle, Eddie White Middle and North Clayton High); and reopening of mental-health referral services on Aug. 4. The district also announced a transition-to-work facility at Perry Career Academy with on-site opportunities for student skill development.

Open house and materials Staff said textbooks and instructional materials are arriving and that digital access will be available on day one; some print materials may continue to arrive through August. All schools were reported to have updated websites and posted new menus. The district scheduled an open house/meet-and-greet for July 31 and curriculum nights for September.

How these items were handled in the meeting The board directed staff to develop a committee proposal on a refundable minimum summer-school enrollment fee and to provide further detail on temporary relocations and the Church Street exterior timeline. Several board members expressed appreciation for readiness work and for district teams that staffed the back-to-school community events.