The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on July 1, 1776 to debate a resolution by Richard Henry Lee that the colonies declare their independence of Britain.
The first U.S. Postage stamps were issued on July 1, 1847 in New York City.
The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863.
Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charged San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War on July 1, 1898.
Coca-Cola marketed its current formula for the first time on July 1, 1916.
On July 1, 1956, a new Georgia flag bearing the state seal and a version of the Confederate Battle Flag became effective after being adopted by the Georgia General Assembly in the 1956 Session.
The current Georgia Constitution became effective on July 1, 1983 after its approval in a referendum during the November 1982 General Election.
Georgia native Clarence Thomas was nominated to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush on July 1, 1991.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Congratulations to former Governor Nathan Deal on his recent marriage. From the AJC:
Former Gov. Nathan Deal and Brenda Micali were married Saturday, using a symbolic gesture to seal their vows in a ceremony both intimate and meaningful, holding a long rope at the end of the ceremony as a sign of their new bond.
After the “I dos,” every guest held the rope in a circle while the newlyweds quite literally tied the knot. They briefly fumbled with the ends, prompting Deal to crack a joke, to laughter from the small crowd of loved ones.
The ceremony was in Arnoldsville, a tiny city just east of Athens. “Nothing fancy,” read the invitation. “Just love.”
It was a moving tribute to the joy of finding love again. Deal’s first wife, Sandra, died in 2022.
Sandra Deal was known across Georgia for her tireless advocacy for literacy, and her memory still shapes Deal’s life. He even wrote a children’s book in her honor.
“It took a lot of compassion and patience on her part,” said his daughter, Carrie Deal. “And a lot of courage from Dad to move past his grief.”
Deal’s friends say they’re overjoyed to see him begin this new chapter.
“You could tell they both found a companion who brings them joy,” said longtime adviser Brian Robinson, one of a small group of attendees.
That sense of peace is felt by his family, too.
“It’s never too late to fall in love,” Carrie said. “We are thrilled. She is lovely. And most importantly, Dad is happy.”
Hall County will open a single voting location for the July 15, 2025 Special Democratic Primary Runoff Election for Public Service Commission, according to AccessWDUN.
Hall County will offer a single polling location on election day for the upcoming Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) District 3 Democratic primary runoff race.
According to Hall County Director of Elections Lori Wurtz, there will be one location on the day of the election on July 15. That will be at the Brenau Downtown Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. located at 301 Main Street SW, Gainesville, 30501.
Early voting will occur from July 7 to July 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only at the Gainesville Civic Center located at 830 Green Street NE, Gainesville, 30501.
“State law allows eligible counties to have only one county-wide polling location in certain runoff primaries, and Hall County met that criterion with the upcoming election,” Wurtz said. “In the long run, this will streamline processes and save taxpayer funds by consolidating into one voting location.”
The race will be between former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Sean Waites and project director Peter Hubbard.
Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Forsyth County) may run for Governor of Georgia as a Democrat, according to the AJC.
In a conversation with the “Politically Georgia” podcast airing today, Duncan, an AJC contributing opinion columnist, expressed his ongoing exasperation over the direction of the Republican Party under President Donald Trump. He called the “big, beautiful” bill moving through the Senate this week “an abomination of any sort of conservative values.”
And he expressed frustration with the field running for Georgia governor so far from both parties. That includes two Republicans, Attorney General Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to announce his campaign later this summer, and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state Sen. Jason Esteves for the Democrats.
“From the right, I’ve got everybody embracing Donald Trump and that’s just an unacceptable strategy for me for a number of reasons,” he said of the 2026 field. “And on the left, I just personally don’t believe Mayor Bottoms is positioned well to beat a Republican.”
Duncan has been the subject of wide speculation as a potential candidate for governor. Asked if he’s considering a run, he said, “I’ve certainly heard the rumor. And, I’m certainly fielding phone calls from folks across the state that are asking the same question.”
“I’m certainly not going to run as a Republican. I’ve given up on them as much as they’ve given up on me,” he said.
Duncan ruled out an independent run for governor, citing the logistical challenges of getting on a statewide ballot. But he is open to running as a Democrat.
“If given the opportunity to be taken seriously by the Democrats and have an opportunity to shift the platform, I’d certainly think about it,” he said.
Duncan added that it’s too early to say exactly what his plans are. Even if he is open to running as a Democrat, there is no guarantee Georgia Democrats would be interested in voting for him.
Democratic state Rep. David Wilkerson of Powder Springs put it this way: “It’s unfortunate for Duncan that the Republican party has moved so far to the right. Maybe in another time, Duncan could switch and be successful. However, it would be tough for anyone who has been so closely tied to the GOP brand to win a 2026 Democratic primary.”
Former Lt. Gov. Duncan also published an Op-Ed in the AJC.
Democratic State Senator Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) raised more than $1.1 million in his campaign for Governor, according to the AJC.
The Atlanta Democrat’s campaign said roughly 85% of contributions come from in-state donors, though the full report won’t be disclosed until later this month.
The fundraising deadline, which covers contributions from April through June, is a crucial test in a Democratic race that lacks a clear front-runner.
“Georgians are ready for a new generation of leadership, and our latest fundraising haul is a testament to the excitement around Sen. Esteves’ campaign across the state,” said Meg Scribner, his campaign manager.
The GOP field is also intensifying. Republican Attorney General Chris Carr has raised at least $2 million since entering the race in November, though his latest totals are still pending.
Former Georgia State House Democratic Leader will begin fundraising to campaign for Attorney General, according to the AJC.
Trammell filed paperwork Tuesday to begin raising money for his campaign.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been humbled by the encouragement and candid conversations I’ve had with many of our neighbors about the challenges and opportunities facing the people of our state,” Trammell said in a statement. “Like many Georgians, I’m deeply concerned about protecting our future — for our families, our livelihoods, and our rights.”
Trammell was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2015, serving portions of Troup, Coweta and Meriwether counties southwest of Atlanta. In 2017, his Democratic colleagues elected him as the House minority leader.
He lost his seat in 2020 after national Republicans spent $1 million to defeat him, eliminating him as one of the last white Democrats representing rural areas.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reached agreements with Forsyth and Hall Counties to keep some federal parks on Lake Lanier open this weekend, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reached a deal with Forsyth and Hall counties to let them reopen nearly all of the nine closed Corps-owned parks on Lake Lanier for the Fourth of July weekend.
Corps officials announced the deal on Monday. Six parks will be operated by the county governments under one-year Challenge Cost Share Cooperative Management Agreements.
A seventh park, Burton Mill Park, will temporarily open from Friday through next Monday so visitors can enjoy the Fourth of July weekend at that park.
“I appreciate the support of Hall County and Forsyth County in helping us get these parks open,” Lake Lanier Project Manager Tim Rainey said. “We share a common goal of providing quality recreational opportunities to the public, and this partnership makes that possible.”
Forsyth County will operate Keith’s Bridge, Long Hollow and Two-Mile Creek parks while Hall County will operate Little River, Robinson and Mountain View parks.
The Army Corps of Engineers will reopen Burton Mill Park for the weekend only by reallocating Corps employees and volunteers from other parks.
“This initiative underscores USACE’s ongoing commitment to working closely with local partners to balance public safety, environmental stewardship, and recreational access at Lake Lanier,” the Corps of Engineers said in its announcement.
The announcement is a significant step forward in efforts to reopen all parks at the lake.
At one time, 21 parks were slated to be closed this summer because of staffing shortages, but that number has gradually dwindled as hiring freezes were suspended, members of Congress got involved and now agreements have been reached with Forsyth and Hall counties.
Georgia’s United States Senators both oppose Medicaid cuts proposed in Congress, according to Atlanta News First via WTOC.
Georgia’s U.S. senators are joining a bipartisan push against President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget proposal, projected to be $153 billion.
More than 2 million Georgians rely on Medicaid, and according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation, as many as 200,000 people in the state could lose their Medicaid coverage or private insurance through Georgia Access almost immediately if the plan passes.
Kelley McDaniel’s son, Landon, lives with autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. He depends on Medicaid to afford life-saving treatments.
“He experiences multiple seizures a day,” McDaniel said. His medication costs $15,000 out-of-pocket. His last hospital visit — over a million dollars.”
At one point, McDaniel said her son was on a ventilator.
“All I could think about was, am I going to get to take my child home with me? I wasn’t thinking about how I was going to pay for this,” she said.
While there are some exemptions in the bill for people with disabilities, Georgians like McDaniel worry sweeping regulatory changes — including work requirements for adults under 65 and new red tape in the paperwork process — could threaten coverage for vulnerable families.
Whitney Griggs, president of Georgians for a Healthy Future, echoed those concerns.
“Georgians will feel these impacts very quickly,” Griggs said. “And a lot more people than expected are going to lose coverage.”
On the Senate floor Monday, Sen. Jon Ossoff proposed an amendment aimed at reinstating federal tax credits that would help low-income families. He said those tax credits could save Georgia families thousands of dollars annually.
“In Dougherty County, it’s $2,200. In Chattahoochee County, $2,300. In Richmond County, it’s $2,600,” Ossoff said.
But, Republican senators voted down the measure, saying the proposed tax credits were a distraction from deeper issues with the health care system.
“Despite the Democrats’ rhetoric, they’re conflating two separate issues: ensuring health care affordability and access requires thoughtful, deliberative, and real solutions,” said Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyoming).
On Monday, Sen. Raphael Warnock went to the floor of the United States Senate to call on his GOP colleagues to reject the bill.
“Senate Republicans are trying to implement the failed Georgia model nationwide, because their goal is not to get people to work, it’s to kick people off Medicaid,” said Warnock.
McDaniel remains fearful that families like hers will be left behind.
“Instead of asking my son why he needs Medicaid, why don’t we start asking the healthcare systems why they are charging so much?” she said.
The Senate version of the bill will need to return to the House before it can reach President Trump’s desk. The President has said he hopes to sign the bill this week.
The United States Supreme Court declined an appeal of an earlier decision holding that the 1% tax on strip club revenues passed by voters in 2016 does not infringe upon strip club owners’ First Amendment rights, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The court on June 30 rejected an appeal from a group of strip club owners arguing the state’s 1% tax on businesses that offer both nude dancing and alcohol violates the First Amendment’s protections for free speech.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled last year that it does not.
“This tax is significantly less burdensome than similar taxes upheld by other courts,” Georgia Supreme Court Justice Nels S.D. Peterson wrote. “And it can be avoided entirely by not serving alcohol or not performing substantially nude.”
The state legislature passed the “operation assessment” on adult entertainment establishments in 2015 to fund services for sexually exploited children.
The strip club owners say the tax discriminates because it applies only to clubs that feature nude dancing conveying an erotic message.
But lawyers for the state told the U.S. Supreme Court that the tax is content-neutral and addresses the fact that underage sex trafficking is a secondary effect of strip clubs.
The state also said there’s no division among lower courts about the legal issues involved so the Supreme Court doesn’t need to get involved.
“There are very few cases involving taxes on strip clubs,” lawyers for Georgia told the justices, “and they all come out the same way.”
Some websites will be inaccessible without age verification in Georgia, according to the Savannah Morning News.
If you’re from Georgia and are a user of Pornhub, you’ll need to find a new adult entertainment website.
As of July 1, the site’s content has been pulled from the Peach State and anyone who visits it is now greeted by a message explaining this is due to new age verification laws. Here’s what we know:
What is Georgia Senate Bill 351?
Signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April, Georgia Senate Bill 351 is also known as the “Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act.” Its overall goal is to promote “safe and appropriate” use of technology, especially to young people.
One of the items of this bill requires public websites with “a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors” to use an age verification system. The most common form of this would be the submission of a government ID (like a driver’s license).
The bill has some specific language defining ”material that is harmful to minors.” It also has more broad language: “Any material that the average person, applying contemporary communitystandards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, isdesigned to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, prurient interest.”
“Prurient” is defined as “Having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.”
Free speech advocates and adult entertainment lobbyists say the laws are hurting adults who have the right to access such content and warn that the definition of “adult material” can be weaponized against sex education sites, medical advice sites, and sites with LGBTQ+ content whether it is erotic or not, and say the requirement to share personal information is both excessive and ineffective.
This despite a federal court ruling enjoining enforcement of the age verification requirement.
A man in Savannah was arrested for wearing a mask at a protest, according to the Savannah Morning News.
A 1990 Georgia Supreme Court ruling, originally intended to dismantle the Ku Klux Klan’s use of hooded attire as a tool of intimidation, was invoked to arrest and charge a Savannah man with a misdemeanor during a recent peaceful protest.
With more demonstrations planned, questions are mounting about how police might apply the same law again.
Luvrio Wilkerson said he heard about the June 14 No Kings Protest from a friend. The protest was a part of a series of demonstrations held across the U.S. against President Donald Trump’s recent policies and actions.
On his way out the house to the demonstration, 24-year-old Wilkerson said he grabbed a keffiyeh, a traditional Arabic scarf, and tied it around his head and neck, keeping his eyes exposed.
Once arriving at the peaceful demonstration in downtown Savannah, a woman warned him of officers arresting people wearing masks. Only one other individual was detained that day for wearing a mask.
The police report said an officer verbally instructed Wilkerson to lower his mask below his nose and explained that wearing masks is not allowed by Georgia law.
Wilkerson said no officer spoke to him, but instead motioned for him to lower the mask. He said he complied, showed his face to the officers, only to raise it seconds later. But, when the officers saw this, the report states they attempted to re-approach him.
After a brief chase with seven officers following, Wilkerson said he stopped when an officer threatened to tase him. He was then arrested and charged with two misdemeanors — obstruction and using a mask to conceal his identity.
Neil Pantilla, Savannah Police Department’s Public Information Officer, said Wilkerson would not have been charged with a misdemeanor for wearing a mask had he not tried to flee.
“You can’t walk around and wear a balaclava,” Pantilla said. “You will get stopped and asked why you are wearing it.”
“The law is designed primarily to address situations where masks are used to hide one’s face for malicious purposes. Officers are trained to assess each situation on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as the type of mask, context and behavior of the individual.”
Georgia Secretary of State’s Office audited votes in the June 15, 2025 Special Primary Elections for Public Service Commission, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
A hand count of ballots in a primary election race for the Georgia Public Service Commission found a discrepancy, but Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger determined it was not a problem.
The audit of results in all 159 counties for the District 2 Republican contest found one batch of 328 audited ballots had a discrepancy, but it was within an expected margin of error for a hand count, Raffensperger said Monday.
There was no deviation from candidate vote totals, he said.
“County election offices are in great hands,” he said. “Georgia’s system works. This is exactly why I’m leading the push to see our reforms instituted on a national level. This audit shows that our Georgia leads the nation in free, fair, and fast election results.”
Raffensperger, who attributed the discrepancy to human error, said the audit was supported by Voting Works and their Arlo auditing software.
The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts found mixed results in their assessment of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.
Georgia lawmakers asked for an examination of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, which received $30 million in funding in fiscal year 2024, more than a quarter of it from the state.
The special examination by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts found evidence of positive impact on the high school graduation and teen birth rate measures. But the agency found no evidence of a positive impact on three others: child abuse and neglect, low birthweight babies and children in poverty.
The partnership told auditors that the results should be characterized as “promising” instead of “mixed,” but the auditors disagreed, saying it would be “misleading” to do so.
The review was requested by the Georgia House Appropriations Committee, which has a leading role in writing the annual state budget.
Georgia Family Connection (GFC) is a statewide initiative that was established in 1991 after Georgia ranked 48th out of 50 states on the child well-being indicators created by an organization called Kids Count.
The GFC grew as state lawmakers allocated funding. Then, in 2001, a new state-level organization called Georgia Family Connection Partnership was created. By the next year, all 159 Georgia counties had joined the partnership.
In addition to state funding — $8.3 million in fiscal 2024 — the program gets federal, local and private money.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has revised their Wildlife Action Plan, according to the Macon Telegraph.
Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan is a statewide strategy to conserve populations of native wildlife species and their natural habitats, according to a press release from the department of natural resources.
“The goal of Georgia’s SWAP is to conserve animals, plants and natural habitats statewide through proactive measures emphasizing voluntary and incentive-based programs on private lands, habitat restoration and management by public agencies and private conservation organizations, rare species survey and recovery efforts, and environmental education and public outreach activities,” the agency’s website reads.
The teams involved in making the plan identified 1,062 “species of greatest conservation need” based on the status of each in the state, the importance of Georgia populations to global conservation, and the available data.
Plants represent the greatest proportion of Georgia’s species of greatest conservation need at 46%, followed by freshwater species such as fish, mollusks and crayfish at 23%, followed by terrestrial invertebrates like bees, butterflies and beetles at 14% and then birds at 6%.
Pollinator populations are experiencing major declines due to a range of factors, including climate change, pesticides, habitat loss and disease, according to Hatfield. Planting pollinator friendly vegetation on some government lands would help combat this decline, Blackledge said.
“A lot of the pollinators, native pollinators, in Georgia, for millions and millions of years, evolved with native plants,” said Jennette Gayer, director of Environment Georgia.
“And so when you strip out those native plants and instead plant something from Japan or even another part of this country, you are basically removing habitat, food and breeding locations that native pollinators grew up with, and so it means that we don’t have any place for our native bees, for example, to lay their eggs or catch on, etc.”
The latest revision of the state Wildlife Action Plan also includes an online tool to track conservation projects in addition to the Wild Georgia Conservation Hub, which is a new website to explore plan data.
To receive State Wildlife Grants — the main source of federal funding for protecting animals that aren’t hunted or fished — states must have a Wildlife Action Plan that’s updated every 10 years and approved by Congress.
Updating the plan is a major effort that involves more than 100 partners and stakeholders, including conservation groups, government agencies, universities and private landowners, according to DNR.
This 2025 plan’s revision process began in 2022. The state’s first Wildlife Action Plan was created in 2005.
Burnswick City’s Commission’s Finance Committee recommended a proposal to create a local microtransit system with a third-party, according to The Brunswick News.
If all goes well, the contractor, Via, could begin operating by October, said Planning, Development and Codes Director John Hunter.
The finance committee is made up of Brunswick Mayor Cosby Johnson, City Commissioner Felicia Harris and Finance Director Henry Perry. It makes recommendations to the full City Commission. It does not have the final say in financial matters.
The system is similar to Uber, a “small vehicle-based rideshare program that will operate in the community,” Hunter said, with rides reserved via app or phone call.
Harris said that, while fares will be implemented, the microtransit system is proposed as a public service. As such, it should not be expected to turn a profit immediately.
All vehicles will hold five to seven rides and accommodate mobility aids. Booking will be done via smartphone app or phone call, and fares will vary from $1.50 to $3, Hunter said.
The company operating it, Via, also has a presence in Valdosta, Hall County and the Buckhead neighborhood in Atlanta.
Hunter said most of the Golden Isles area’s major employers have endorsed the program.
“It would serve some real needs in our community, for people who either don’t have vehicles, don’t have regular access to vehicles or just choose to use (public) transit. It enhances access and mobility, supports our workforce, and this is a cost-effective model versus a fixed-route bus system,” Hunter said.
Year one is expected to cost $1.3 million, going up to $1.8 million later in 2026 with the addition of a dedicated bus route to St. Simons Island. By 2030, the city anticipates it will cost just under $2 million annually to run the program.
Three Coastal (and Coastal-adjacent) counties are forming a Joint Development Authority, according to the Savannah Morning News.
At the end of the event held Thursday afternoon launching a tri-county partnership to drive economic growth along the I-95 corridor, Liberty County Economic Development CEO Brynn Grant wanted to highlight why it was such an important project to pursue: the human side of it.
“[There are] people who are working hard everyday but can’t make basic household budgets work and in our communities, in Liberty County, that’s 45%,” Grant said. “In neighboring counties, it’s little bit higher. We have a reason to keep driving our economic development goals and vision in these counties, and we want to do it in a way that balances our natural resources, assets and people for the very highest good.”
Three coastal Georgia counties— Liberty, Long and McIntosh―announced they have officially formed the Tri-95 Georgia Joint Development Authority, meant to “unlock shared potential along the corridor and leverage proximity to Georgia’s two deep water ports,” Savannah and Brunswick, according to a press release.
“There’s really three things that this joint development authority adds,” said Long County Development Authority’s CEO Brad Day. “First, it’s efficient when we pool our resources together; there’s no reason why we should be spending resources separately. Second, now we get to enjoy the expertise of three seasoned economic development authorities, and the third thing is energy. Partnerships like these create an energy you can’t find by yourself.”
As Grant mentioned, the partnership intends to address socioeconomic challenges. Long and Liberty Counties have a 16% poverty rate, while McIntosh County has a 20% poverty rate. The state of Georgia’s poverty rate is 13.6%.
Warner Robins City Council approved an FY 2026 budget, according to 13WMAZ.
Warner Robins City Council members voted unanimously Monday night to approve the city’s 2026 fiscal year budget, totaling nearly $180 million.
The newly-approved budget is about 12% larger than last year’s, and city officials say it focuses on expanding public safety, upgrading infrastructure, and improving city services.
The largest portion about $40 million will go toward public safety. That includes more police training, upgraded equipment, and support for the city’s Real-Time Crime Center.
City Administrator James Drinkard said the new budget reflects changes brought on by House Bill 581, which establishes a statewide homestead tax exemption.
Drinkard said the city managed to balance the budget by leveraging alternative revenue sources.
“A lot of the increase we’re seeing is in our utility accounts,” Drinkard said. “That’s coming from renegotiated commercial contracts and expansion with new customers. We’re also heavily leveraging grant dollars, so instead of the city spending dollar-for-dollar, we’re getting a one-for-three or one-for-five exchange.”
The 2026 budget goes into effect Tuesday, July 1.
The City of Augusta has finished part of the cleanup from Hurricane Helene, according to WRDW.
As of Monday, June 30, the coordinated debris removal phase under FEMA Category A (vegetative debris) and Category B (construction and demolition debris) has officially concluded.
Although the federally supported curbside debris collection phase has now ended, residents may still observe ongoing recovery work in select areas, including stump removals and site restoration.
But Augusta still seeks funding for canal repairs, according t0 WJBF.
Even with more than three miles of trail closed since Helene, the canal is still drawing visitors.
The canal damage is in the $8 million to $10 million-dollar range, but the city has been approved for a $10 million-dollar grant for storm cleanup along waterways.
“The canal sustained the most extensive spreading damage of any water way in the city,” said Wes Byne, director of the Augusta Utilities Department Director.
Augusta applied for another grant for the canal. However, after federal inspectors came the application was denied, so none of the $10 million will be used on the canal.
“They’ve seen the extent of the damage. They can help facilitate with other federal agencies. It was good for us, but ultimately not good for us,” said Byne.
Repairs will continue on the canal using department money, as the city searches for other sources.
“We were looking at utilizing the FEMA as part of recouping some of the money along the canal and hopefully we can,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.
In the meantime, the city says this section of canal trail will stay closed at least until September after engineers do another inspection of the levee.
“I’m hoping to get in an out 30 to 45 days. I don’t know if that’s going to be possible, yet it really depends on what that final design plan looks like,” said Byne.
Along the canal, Helene proves costly and without a quick fix.
Barrow County Public Schools will receive a federal grant to reimburse some expenses incurred after the Apalachee High School shooting, according to AccessWDUN.
The $1 million U.S.Department of Education Project SERV grant can only be used to reimburse expenses related to continuing instruction for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.
When the tragedy initially occurred, the school system covered the $4 million cost for temporary classroom spaces, transportation and additional administrator and substitute expenses through fund balance and Capital Project funds. The system said using the money out-of-pocket meant funds initially intended to fund salaries and future projects were used to meet the school’s needs at the time.
“We are also thankful to have received other grants for additional mental health services and grants from the Barrow Community Foundation that have covered AHS-specific requests for mental health curriculum, accommodations of partitions and soft seating for classrooms and counseling areas, therapy dog needs, mental health providers, and substitutes for staff support,” the county said in a release.
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