SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) 2024-2025 school year got under way on Monday, August 26. The school district welcomed tens of thousands of students back to its 48 schools. Administrators, teachers, school nutrition staff and custodians were eager to see children coming through the doors.
Families arrived to carpool early in anticipation of what the new school year would bring, and the beautiful weather provided an extra bonus for the first day. Students had their new backpacks filled with supplies, and parents snapped those first day of school pictures.
For seniors throughout the school district, it was their last first day of school. One of those is Cleveland High senior Lauren St. Amour. She is excited to see all of her friends, to learn some new things, and be on the dance team with her girls for one more year. She also has her sights on her goals after high school. “I want to set myself up for college,” she said. “Maintaining my GPA, having good grades, and getting into my dream college would make this a perfect year. It would wrap everything up and know that all of my hard work paid off.”
Over the summer, a lot of hard work took place including cleaning each school from top to bottom, working on construction projects, as well as administrators and faculty attending the annual leadership conference to plan for the 2024-2025 school year. Every member of the JCPS team could hardly wait to share it all with the children.
Faculty and staff were eager to welcome children back to school for another amazing year. Wilson’s Mills Elementary Principal Dondi Holland said, “The one thing I’m most looking forward to is for kids to be successful and make memories throughout the school year to last a lifetime.”
The beginning of the school year is always full of dreams, goals, and wishes. We’re hopeful that they all come true.
