Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) students returned to the classroom on Thursday, Aug. 1 to begin the 2024-25 academic year. Superintendent Dr. Denise Watts made seven different stops at district facilities and schools to welcome students, faculty, and employees back to campuses across the city.

In total, nearly 36,000 students and 5,600 employees made their way back to school on Thursday.
The Superintendent’s first day began before 5 a.m. A complete look at Dr. Watts’ busy Thursday morning schedule can be seen below.
Superintendent’s Schedule – Thursday, Aug. 1
Stop 1: Transportation (school bus HQ) Facility – 5 a.m.–5:45 a.m.
Stop 2: Davis-Edwards-Harris Educational Complex – 7:15 a.m.–8:05 a.m.
Stop 3: Georgetown K8 – 8:25 a.m.–9 a.m.
Stop 4: Oglethorpe Charter – 9:15 a.m.–9:50 a.m.
Stop 5: Gould Elementary – 10:15 a.m.–10:50 a.m.
Stop 6: Johnson High – 11:10 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Stop 7: Marshpoint Elementary – 11:55 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Her second stop was at Mercer Middle School and Groves High School,  located in Garden City. The schools welcomed students to the campus for the first time on Thursday. Watts, who is beginning Year 2 as the Superintendent, was part of the ceremony when the facility held its official ribbon cutting back in May.
“It has been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it,” said Watts. “And we are going to do just that in the 2024–2025 school year. I could not be more excited to be kicking off and launching into the new school year. This year will be no doubt a positive step forward in creating the future in this district that manifests the promise and potential of each of our students.”
The 2024-25 school year will again be broken down into four periods and two semesters. The first period (50 days) runs from Aug. 1–Oct. 10; the second period (43 days) from Oct. 15–Dec. 20; the third period (46 days) from Jan. 7–March 13; and the fourth period (41 days) from March 18–May 21. Parents can expect the first student progress reports on Sept. 6 and the first report cards on Oct. 18.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I July 2024.