GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — It’s the first day of school for Georgia’s largest school district, as more than 180,000 students return to classrooms across Gwinnett County.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Al Taylor says the district is entering the school year on strong footing, despite potential uncertainty surrounding federal funding. “We’ve made some decisions early on, even before this became a possibility, so there’s not going to be any disruption to services regardless of whether or not we are actually receiving the funds,” he said.
Taylor also highlighted several curriculum and facility upgrades, including improvements to Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) spaces and continued investment in artificial intelligence learning tools. “We’re really excited about the work we’ve done for a couple of years in AI,” he added.
Facing a national teacher shortage, Gwinnett has made hiring and retention a top priority and it’s paid off. “We have less than 20 vacancies, which is unheard of for a district this size,” Taylor said.
The district also reports a strong staffing outlook for bus drivers, an area many districts have struggled with in recent years. “We’re being very aggressive trying to ensure that we have an adequate supply and an adequate pool of bus drivers to have no vacancies in that space,” said Taylor.
Looking ahead, Gwinnett County Schools plans to place an Education SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) extension on the November ballot to fund future facility improvements.
“So excited,” Taylor said about the start of the school year. “We spend all summer waiting for this moment, and so we are definitely ready for the 180,000-plus students to enter our schools.”
WSB’s Austin Eller contributed to this story
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