Greater Clark County Schools open their doors Thursday for the first day of the school year

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — Students in Greater Clark County Schools went back to the classroom, after summer break came to an end on Thursday.

Bus drivers arrived bright and early to GCCS Transportation Center, and driver Mark Abel was feeling great about the day.

"It's a fun job, I really enjoy it," Abel said.

GCCS is starting off the year fully staffed with bus drivers.

At Jeffersonville High School, Principal Pam Hall enjoyed the "calm before the storm," as she prepared for 2,300 students to come through the doors.

Parents and students will see a lot of construction going on around campus. The school is building a new natatorium along with a couple other smaller projects.

"We currently have over $55 million worth of construction going on around campus right now," Hall said. "We are going to see some amazing things come to life here at Jeff High School."

Buses started to arrive around 7:30 a.m. at Jeffersonville High School, full of students eager for their first day of school and ready to see their friends.

Pam McCoy has been teaching for 27 years at the high school. This year, she has a main message for her students.

"I teach respect in the classroom, that's my main rule," McCoy said. "Respect goes a long way and in that I learn who the kids are, they learn who I am, and my main focus is building those relationships. It's important that they feel heard and seen and to know that I care about them. Once you have that relationship, it builds and will continue on through the year."

At Northaven Elementary School, Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Hartlage was greeting kids arriving in the car-rider line. Full of enthusiasm, she said there is nothing like the first day of school.

"Our challenge is to make every day thereafter just as great as the first," Hartlage said. "We are ready to go. Our teachers and staff have worked hard this summer with lots of professional development. Our staffing looks great and our enrollment is up, so lots of positive things."

Hartlage said she believes transportation will run a lot smoother as it has in the past years, as they have worked thoroughly with the police department on new traffic patterns and policies to follow.

Greater Clark County Schools calendar and links to the district calendar and website are below.

Greater Clark County Schools

Calendar:
- Teachers Only Day: Tuesday, July 29
- Elementary Back to School Night, July 29
- Teachers Only Day: Wednesday, July 30
- Secondary Back to School Night: July 29
- Teachers Only Day: July 30
- Start date: Thursday, Aug. 1
- Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 2 (No school)
- Teachers Only Day: Tuesday, Sept. 3
- End of 1st Quarter: Oct. 4
- Fall Break: Oct. 7-11
- Teacher Only Day: Nov. 5, 2024 (Election Day)
- Parent/Teacher Conferences: Nov. 5
- End of 2nd Quarter: Dec. 20
- Winter Break: Dec. 22 to Jan. 3
- No School: Jan. 20, 2025 (Martin Luther King Day)
- No School: Feb. 25, 2025 (President's Day)
- End of 3rd Quarter: March 14
- Spring Break: March 17-21
- No School: May 2, 2025 (Oaks Day)
- No School: May 6, 2025 (Election Day)
- Last Student/Teacher Day: May 21
- End of 4th Quarter: May 21,
- New Washington HS Graduation: May 23
- Jeffersonville HS Graduation: May 24
- Charlestown HS Graduation: May 24
To view district calendar, click here.
To visit the district's website, click here.