Peach County Begins Five-Day School Week | News

Peach County Schools voted to return to the five-day school week in March. September 10th was the first time in three years that Peach County schools have been in class on Monday.

13WMAZ went to the new 9th Grade Trojan Academy off Tulip Drive in Fort Valley as students, teachers, and administrators returned to the classroom on Monday.

Bruce Mackey, the principal at Peach County High School, said that they as a school community are glad to be back at school on the first day of the week.

"We're excited about being back and we thought that our kids will be able to handle it a lot better as the weeks go on, they'll get adjusted just like anything else," said Mackey.

Aja Clark, a Peach County ninth grade student, said while she enjoys hitting the books, she knows that she will miss those longer breaks.

"I like school and all, but a three day weekend was kind of relaxed and everything and you could get everything done in a timely manner," said Clark.

English teacher, Mike Hancock, said that he's glad to be back to work on Mondays, because he thinks overall it will be better for the students, because they are in the classrooms more.

"But to kids, three days is, Labor day weekend you lose them," said Hancock. "It's kind of like giving them a long weekend every single weekend, the retention wasn't there."

But Hancock says that first Monday morning after three years was an adjustment.

"I didn't know how used to sleeping in on Mondays my body was, haha, it misses it does," said Hancock. "I am dragging just a little bit but I am getting there. "

A few parents that 13WMAZ talked to say they're glad to be dropping their kids off at school on Monday.

"Actually I think it's good heading back on Mondays because they get more of their education out where as they had three days off so they had a big break during the week I didn't think it was getting enough school time," said Chandra Smith of Fort Valley.

In 2009, Peach County school board voted to go to a four-day school week to save the district money without cutting teacher jobs.

But the school board voted last March to return to five days because they weren't saving as much as expected.