Opening new schools and new athletic facilities, the Richmond County GA school system is celebrating a wave of construction and renovation projects.
In 2006 alone, the school system opened two elementary schools and a large athletic complex and football stadium at Lucy C. Laney High School.
More improvements are on the way with the recent passing of a new sales tax package that promises the construction of new schools, including the expansion of Richmond County's magnet school program with a traditional magnet school and a vocational magnet school.
The Richmond County GA school system has its headquarters in downtown Augusta, at 864 Broad St. The four story central office houses every department except for transportation and maintenance.
The Richmond County GA school system has 60 schools; 8 Richmond County High schools, 10 Richmond County middle schools, 36 Richmond County elementary schools, three magnet schools, an evening school and two schools for pupils with behavioral problems or emotional needs. More than 33,000 pupils are enrolled.
The county's three magnet schools include John S. Davidson Fine Arts School for pupils in grades 6-12. Davidson was named a 2004 No Child Left Behind National Blue Ribbon School and several times has been ranked the state's top high school by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
Davidson again had the highest SAT scores of any school in Georgia in 2010.
A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School is composed of grades 9-12 and won the blue ribbon award in 2003. C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School houses grades K-8 and was named a Georgia School of Excellence in 2003.
Uniforms are required for all pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.
For more information, see the Board of Education Web site.
WHAT'S NEW:
-The Richmond County school system opened two new schools this year. The schools, both in south Augusta, are Deer Chase and Diamond Lakes elementary schools.
-Lucy C. Laney High School opened its new athletic complex, which includes a football stadium that was a joint venture with the Augusta Commission and the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corp.
-Voters approved a $231 million sales tax package to fund improvements in facilities, technology, transportation and textbooks.
-Ground was broken for the new Hornsby Elementary School. The school will be next to East Augusta Middle School. Hornsby is currently on Laney-Walker Boulevard.
677 Kemper Drive
Evans, GA 30809