From catching up with friends and meeting your teachers to opening that new box of crayons or using that newly sharpened pencil in a brand new notebook, there’s a reason why the first day of school is a favorite for students and staff. Smiles fill the hallways, and excitement packs into the classrooms. 

The first day of the school year is also one of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s favorite times of the year. That’s what he told one 5th-grade student he met on the first day at Kemp Elementary School. 

“As we just saw with the Georgia Milestones scores, Cobb students continue to outperform their metro peers. The numbers confirm what we hear every day: Cobb families love their schools. I couldn’t be more excited that more of our students are reading on grade level than anywhere in the metro. And, I couldn’t be more excited to see the results this year for many of our middle and high school students as they learn math and science in an engaging, virtual reality-based curriculum," Superintendent Ragsdale shared.

At Kemp, Superintendent Ragsdale welcomed students back and thanked teachers personally for their impact on students. The teachers jumped at the opportunity to thank Superintendent Ragsdale for investing in their future and their students’ future by advocating for the Georgia’s BEST program. Educators like Kemp teachers Rachel Lake and Stacy King are able to pursue an advanced degree at no cost thanks to Cobb’s cutting-edge program, which has led to a 99% retention rate and fewer than ten full-time openings. In contrast, other school districts have hundreds of vacancies. 

Board Member Brad Wheeler joined Superintendent Ragsdale on his back-to-school tour of Kemp. 

“I’ve been in a number of schools today. The feeling from families and teachers is contagious. The smiles and stories tell me all I need to know: West Cobb students are ready to learn!! One mom told me she couldn’t imagine a better school for her 9th grader. Seeing her pride and hope gave me the chills,” said Mr. Wheeler.

After he visited Kemp, Mr. Wheeler popped over to see the teaching and learning already taking place at Hillgrove High School on the first day. Earlier in the week, he welcomed some of Cobb’s youngest learners to Cheatham Hill Elementary School following the kindergarten and first-grade bus ride along. Mr. Wheeler also helped thank school staff at Vaughan Elementary School on the eve of the first day. 

 At Lewis Elementary School, smiling students and staff greeted Board Chair Randy Scamihorn, who dropped by to wish them a great start to the school year. Like Mr. Wheeler, this was not Mr. Scamihorn’s first back-to-school visit or his last. Mr. Scamihorn joined Superintendent Ragsdale and other board members for the District’s Teachers of the Year surprise announcements, which took place on the first day teachers returned to their classrooms. 

“We have built some of the best schools in the country over the last decade. Speaking for 800,000 people who call Cobb home, we are thankful and excited to continue the most important job there is - preparing Cobb’s children academically and protecting Cobb parents' choices as they raise their children,” Mr. Scamihorn shared.

While August 1 was the first day of the 2024-2025 school year for more than 100,000 students, for more than 8,000 students, it was a milestone. It served as the last first day of Cobb seniors’ K-12 journey. 

At Osborne High School, seniors enthusiastically celebrated their “Last First Day”. Hundreds of seniors gathered in Cardinal Stadium, greeted with high-fives and cheers from teachers, administrators, and family members. 

The seniors enjoyed donuts before parading to the courtyard steps for their first class photo of the year, marking the beginning of their final chapter at Osborne. 

At Harrison High School, many seniors wore similar clothes to mark the start of their last year in high school. The Harrison seniors were not shy about sharing advice for the freshman class of Hoyas. 

Some of their advice included: 

“My advice for freshmen is to do your work. You got to do your work because your GPA will come back to bite you. If you're an athlete, it will matter. Do your work, do your homework.”—Christian 

“I would definitely tell freshmen you want to do AP calculus with Dr. Doriney. It's my favorite class I've ever taken. I just loved AP calculus. Doc is just such a really good teacher. I loved her teaching style, and we always have fun in that class. There's never a dull moment.”—Lauren 

“I definitely say for incoming freshmen to try to start off on a good note. I definitely put in a lot of effort, especially into my first year, I wanted to start off on a good note and not have to make up for stuff later on because that's really hard. But also, enjoy it because I feel like these years really pass by.”—Sarah 

“I'd say just live in the moment. Nothing's promised. So be in the present. Enjoy it. Do everything you can. Because once it's gone, it's gone.”—Payton 

“For freshmen, I would just say it goes by fast. I'm already surprised that it's my first day of my senior year. Have a good time and obviously don't make bad decisions.” –Xavier 

One Harrison freshman is already taking the advice from the upperclassmen to heart. Ellie knows it will be over before she knows it and wants to get off to a good start. 

“I'm looking forward to the high school experience. I've been waiting for this experience for a very long time,” Ellie said.