GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – This week has seen celebrations and preparations for many as school prepares to resume. Tomorrow, August 5, 2021, classes will return to session with two days before the weekend.

As previously stated in Gilmer’s Board of Education meetings, some teachers use the short week to get introduced to students and to the year. Others utilize the short weekend to respond and reorganize certain aspects of classes or lessons after having a day or two with students.

Mere weeks ago, Clear Creek Elementary school was still going through final punch lists and last minute preparations for the school year.

An entire school has spent many days over the recent weeks moving. Classes of Clear Creek Elementary begin tomorrow in their new building, having left behind the former Ellijay Primary School. With staff and others helping to move the furniture, many of those teachers have spent time getting used to their new classrooms in addition to preparing for lessons.

And this week also so celebrations of the new year with the Gilmer Chamber. The Education Celebrations saw over $5,000 worth of door prizes given out during the celebration. All of those prizes went to Gilmer County Charter School System  educators. The Gilmer Chamber said, “We had a great time celebrating our teachers at Education Celebration!”

The rest of the county is preparing for the return to school traffic and changes with them in the coming year. With the recent report during a Board of Education meeting, the Sheriff’s Office is ramping up education and information spread of new traffic cameras coming to the area near three of the schools.

The school calendar is posted to the Gilmer Schools website. Students, teachers, and even coaches are wasting no time in returning to the usual schedule as the Gilmer Bobcats prepare to scrimmage Fannin on Friday.

Students going back to school are also benefitting from emergency funding from the USDA for lunches. Already having moved to free breakfasts in previous years, the school system will be allowing free lunches for this year only. Gilmer County Schools will be serving a free breakfast and a free lunch meal to all students attending in person classes during the 2021-2022 school year. The USDA provided the emergency funding specifically for schools to provide meals at no cost to students.

Classes for each school will operate on the following scheduled start and dismissal times:

All Elementary Schools ( EES, CCES & MVE)
Start Time: 8:00am
Dismissal: 3:00pm
Parent Drop Off (EES & CCES): 7:35am
Parent Drop Off (MVE): 7:20am

Clear Creek Middle, Gilmer High & Mountain Innovations
Start Time: 7:45am
Dismissal: 2:45pm
Parent Drop Off: 7:15

Pre-K
Start Time: 8:00am
Dismissal: 2:30pm