New school start times for Henry County Schools announced

HENRY COUNTY, Ga — As students and staff prepare to head back to school, Henry County Schools have announced new school hours for the 2022-2023 school year.

Channel 2 Action News learned the recent change is for elementary and middle schools in the school district.

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Elementary schools will start at 7:35 a.m., 10 minutes earlier than last year’s start time, and will end 10 minutes earlier at 2:15 p.m.

Middle schools in the county will start at 9 a.m., which is 15 minutes later, and will end at 4 p.m., 5 minutes later compared to last school year.

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The district made this decision to minimize impacts on the day to day school operations and learning opportunities that were caused by transportation disruptions.

“When examining the impacts on our school day, oftentimes we would see various transportation delays as the main interruptions and cause a ripple effect across all levels of school,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “An overwhelming number of disruptions were out of our control, but our goal with these latest school bell adjustments is to minimize any negative impacts to our learners, employees, and families.”

Another adjustment that will be returning this school year is school meal fees. Earlier this year, the federal government decided to end the waiver for free meals for all students at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The federal government is asking families to apply for free or reduced meals.

Meal prices for the 2022-2023 school year in Henry County are listed below:

• $1.25 for breakfast at all schools
• $2.50 for lunch at elementary schools
• $2.60 for lunch at middle and high schools

“We have been fortunate to be able to provide meals at no cost over the past two years of the pandemic thanks to the support from the federal government,” said Chief Financial Officer Shanika Clay. “It was inevitable that this waiver would end at some point, and the board has established pricing that continues to provide a nutritious meal at the lowest cost possible for our families. Our School Nutrition Department is committed to nourishing student achievement, ensuring student nutrition needs are met so that all students can focus on learning.”

The district is asking all parents to check out the #BeReadyDayOne webpage for any additional information needed for back-to-school.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Students will have to use clear bags when returning to school in Clayton County this year The district said the change comes after more than 100 guns were found on county campuses last year.

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