Dooly County School System

Strong Growth. Forward Momentum.
Dooly County students are making meaningful academic progress, and mathematics is leading the way! 📈
The 2026 Georgia Milestones results show improvement across our district. Of the 12 End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments currently available, seven improved at Developing Learner or above, and eight improved at Proficient Learner or above.
Our strongest gains came in mathematics. We also saw positive momentum in Biology, Algebra, fifth-grade science, and eighth-grade Social Studies.
These gains reflect the hard work of our students and the dedication of our teachers, school leaders, instructional support staff, families, community partners, and Board of Education. We are proud of this progress, but our work continues. During the 2026-2027 school year, we will build on this momentum while providing targeted support in third-grade mathematics, eighth-grade science, and U.S. History.
Every percentage represents students who are growing, gaining skills, and moving closer to proficiency. Let’s celebrate their progress and continue working together to ensure every student reaches their highest aspirations.
Strong Growth. Forward Momentum. Moving “the Dooly Way” Forward! ❤️💛

🌟 Small Town. BIG Impact. 🌟 Dooly County Schools was honored to present at the 2026 Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) Summer Conference in Jekyll Island! Our presentation, “Small Town, Big Impact: A Community Approach to Tackling Attendance in Rural Dooly County Schools,” highlighted the intentional strategies, strong partnerships, and district-wide systems that have helped improve student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism across our schools. Representing Dooly County Schools were Dr. Sherrod Willaford, Superintendent, Ms. Jody Pate, Director of Student Services, and Dr. Hollie Walters, Principal of Dooly K-8 Academy, who shared how collaboration with students, families, staff, and community partners has created a culture where Every Day Counts! From our Trail Ride into Dooly County and Communities In Schools partnerships to PBIS celebrations, Dollar Days, Pop-Up Praise, and data-driven interventions, our district is proving that when a community works together, remarkable things happen. We are proud to represent rural Georgia and share how small-town innovation is making a big impact on student success. Thank you to GAEL for the opportunity to showcase the incredible work happening in Dooly County Schools! #SmallTownBigImpact #EveryDayCounts #DoolyCountySchools #GAEL2026 #AttendanceMatters #BuildingAFoundationOfExcellence #BobcatPride #OneTeamOneGoal

📚❤️💛 A Message from the Dooly County K-8 Academy Administration Thank you to our students, families, and staff for making the first day of school a success! We’re excited for a year filled with learning, growth, and achievement. One Team. One Den. Endless Possibilities. 🐾 #BobcatPride #MakingAnImpactLeavingALegacy https://youtu.be/mFutzBZXaOs?is=Bwi6riRDG5nUH774

🚍💛❤️ Dooly County School System Annual Bus Sendoff! ❤️💛🚍 Our Dooly County school leaders were proud to join our incredible bus drivers for our Annual Bus Sendoff as we kicked off the 2026–2027 school year! We are grateful for the dedicated transportation team that safely carries our students to and from school each day. Thank you for your commitment, care, and service to our Bobcat families. Wishing all of our drivers, students, staff, and families a safe, successful, and exciting 2026–2027 school year! Let’s make it an amazing year! 🍎📚🐾 #DoolyCountySchools #BusSendoff #BackToSchool #20262027SchoolYear #BobcatPride #SafeRide

**Today's the day, Dooly! 🎒✨** Our classrooms are set up and ready to welcome our scholars. Buses are hitting the road this morning, and our teachers and staff can't wait to see those smiling faces walk through the doors! Wishing every Dooly County student a first day full of excitement and new beginnings. Let's make it a great year! 🚌📚 #DoolyUnited #FirstDayOfSchool

📢 Parent Portal Update Parents, please note that Parent Portal will open on Monday, August 3, 2026. If you have already registered for Parent Portal, you will be able to log in and view your child’s class schedule and other student information once the portal becomes available. If you have not yet signed up for Parent Portal, we encourage you to do so to stay connected with your child’s academic information throughout the school year. Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to welcoming our Bobcats back to school! ❤️💛

🎉 It's OPEN HOUSE DAY and we cannot wait to see you! 🎉

Come say hi, meet your teachers, explore your classrooms, and soak up all the back-to-school excitement!

📍 **Dooly County K-8 Academy** — 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
📍 **Dooly County High School** — 5:00 PM–7:00 PM

Grab the whole family and come celebrate with us — this school year is going to be a great one!

#DoolyUnited #OpenHouse #BackToSchool

**Teachers are BACK in the building! 🐾** We kicked off a week of preplanning today with a high-energy convocation, celebrating the start of a brand new school year! It was the perfect way to welcome our newest members of our Bobcat Family and set the tone for an exciting year ahead. We celebrated our successes from last year and set our sights on all we'll accomplish together in this new one. Our educators are difference makers, change agents, and beacons of light for our students and our community. Here's to a great week of prepping, planning, and getting ready to make an impact! 🖤 #BobcatFamily #BackToSchool #DoolyUnited #NewSchoolYear

We had an absolute blast bringing the STEM Bus to the Vienna Back to School Bash today! 🚌✨ The morning was full of energy and excitement as our students explored hands-on STEM activities. A huge thank you to our incredible community for coming together to make sure our students have everything they need to head back to school ready to succeed. #DoolyUnited 💛

🎉 Today was New Hire Orientation at Dooly County Schools! We are thrilled to welcome our newest employees to the Dooly family. A huge thank you to the Dooly County Chamber of Commerce and all of the incredible members who donated items to help make our newest members of Bobcat Nation feel welcomed and appreciated from day one. Your generosity means so much to our team! Here's to a great year ahead! #DoolyUnited #WelcomeToDooly

🌊🎉 TODAY'S THE DAY! 🎉🌊 The Catch the Wave Celebration is happening TODAY from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Dooly K-8 Academy, and we can't wait to celebrate our amazing students! Join us for an afternoon filled with: 🎈 Jumping Castles 🌭 Free Food 🎶 Music & Fun 🏆 Recognition for students who completed the Catch the Wave Summer Reading Challenge 📚 Don't forget to bring: ✔️ Your Reading Log or ✔️ Your completed Summer Bridge Workbook ❤️ No one will be turned away! Even if you didn't complete the challenge, we would still love for you to come out and enjoy this special day with us. Let's celebrate a summer of reading, learning, and achievement together! 📍 Dooly K-8 Academy 🕛 Today | 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. We'll see you this afternoon! #CatchTheWave #DoolyK8 #BobcatPride #BuildingAFoundationOfExcellence #SummerReading #OneTeamOneDenEndlessPossibilities 🌊📚🐾

📚 What a day at the Unadilla Back to School Splash Bash! 🎉 We loved giving out books to our students and seeing the amazing turnout from our Dooly community today. It was the perfect way to celebrate these last few days of summer break — smiles, splashes, and a love of reading all in one place! A huge thank you to the City of Unadilla for hosting such a great event for our students and families! Here's to a great start to the new school year! 📖☀️ #DoolyUnited

🌊📚 Catch the Reading Wave Celebration is Almost Here! 📚🌊 The countdown is on! Join us on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. as we celebrate our students who successfully completed the Catch the Reading Wave Summer Reading Program! Students who completed the program will enjoy: 🏰 Jumping castles 🍔 Great food 🎉 Fun games and activities 🏅 Special recognition for their reading accomplishments We are incredibly proud of our readers for making reading a priority this summer! Your hard work deserves to be celebrated, and we can’t wait to recognize each of you. Congratulations to all of our summer readers—we’ll see you on July 22 for an afternoon of fun, food, and celebration! #CatchTheReadingWave #DoolyK8Academy #ReadersAreLeaders #BuildingAFoundationOfExcellence #SummerReadingSuccess https://youtu.be/zUZIyYhjm4M?is=_8SRE3MeumNdXW_k

📚🎉 Back-to-School Splash Bash! 💦🍎 Get ready to kick off the new school year with an afternoon of fun at the Unadilla Splash Pad Opening! 🗓 Saturday, July 18 🕚 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 📍 The Lighted Lantern 1606 Borum Street, Unadilla, GA Bring the whole family and enjoy: 💦 Splash Pad Fun 🏰 Bounce Houses 🎒 FREE School Supplies (while supplies last) 🎉 Games, Activities, and Lots of Fun! 🩱 Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit and a towel! Let’s celebrate a new school year together by connecting with our community, making memories, and getting students excited for an amazing year ahead. We hope to see you there! #BackToSchool #UnadillaGA #SplashPadOpening #CommunityStrong #ReadySetLearn #DoolyCounty #BackToSchoolFun

🐾 Bobcat Families, the 2026–2027 school year is almost here, and we want to set every student up for SUCCESS from Day 1! Consistent attendance is one of the most powerful things your child can do to reach their full potential — and we're here to make every single day count. 📚✨ As you plan family time this year, take a look at our scheduled breaks — from Fall Break in October to Spring Break in March — so your vacations and appointments can work *with* the school calendar, not against it. Every day your child is in their seat is a day they're growing, learning, and becoming their best. **Be Safe. Be Respectful. Be Responsible. BE HERE.** 🏫💛 Attend today. Achieve tomorrow. #DoolyCountyBobcats #EveryDayCounts #AttendanceMatters #BobcatPride #DoolyStrong

🎉🍔 Congratulations to Burger King of Unadilla on your Grand Opening! We are excited to welcome you to the Dooly County community and celebrate this exciting milestone. Dooly County K-8 Academy is incredibly honored to be recognized as Burger King’s Partner of the Year. We are sincerely grateful for your investment in our students, teachers, and school community. Your generosity includes: 📚 A $1,000 donation to Dooly County K-8 Academy 🍎 Teacher supply gifts for our Elementary and Middle School Teachers of the Year ⭐ A commitment to provide additional resources to support our school in the future We also extend our appreciation to Mr. Rodney Daniels, Executive Director of Talent Management & Operations, who represented Dooly County K-8 Academy, and School Board Member Ms. Minnie Harper, for representing the Dooly County School System and the district during this special celebration. Partnerships like this make a lasting difference in the lives of our students. Thank you, Burger King of Unadilla, for believing in education and investing in the future of Dooly County. We look forward to a wonderful partnership for years to come! #DoolyCountyK8Academy #PartnerOfTheYear #CommunityPartnership #ThankYouBurgerKing #UnadillaGA #BuildingAFoundationOfExcellence

NOTICE OF WORK SESSION DATE CHANGE

The work session of the Dooly County Board of Education scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. has been changed to Tuesday, July 21,

2026, at 6:00 p.m. in room 101 of the Central Office located at 202 E. Cotton, Street, Vienna, GA 31092.

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING DATE CHANGE

The regular meeting of the Dooly County Board of Education scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. has been changed to Thursday, July 23,

2026, at 6:00 p.m. in room 101 of the Central Office located at 202 E. Cotton, Street, Vienna, GA 31092.

The public may view the meeting via Facebook Live from the Dooly County School System Facebook page.

📱🛡️ Parents, We Need Your Partnership!

Dooly County Schools is committed to helping families keep students safe in today’s digital world. Join Parent ProTech, a free webinar series designed to provide practical tools and resources for navigating technology, promoting digital wellness, and protecting children online.

These sessions will also help families better understand Georgia Senate Bill 351 (SB351) and its impact on students and schools.

📅 Upcoming Webinar
🔹 July 13
Registration: https://url.gadoe.org/zoaia

Together, we can create a safer, healthier online environment for every child.

💻 Register today and join us in supporting our students and families!

🇺🇸❤️ Happy Independence Day! ❤️🇺🇸 Today, we proudly celebrate the 250th anniversary of America—honoring the courage, sacrifice, and freedom that have shaped our nation’s history since 1776. As we enjoy time with family and friends, let us remember those who made our freedoms possible and look forward with hope for the generations to come. 🎆 Happy 4th of July! Happy 250 Years, America! 🇺🇸✨ #America250 #Happy4thOfJuly #LandOfTheFree #HomeOfTheBrave #CelebrateFreedom

🎒✨ WE GOT YOU, BOBCAT FAMILIES! ✨🎒 At Dooly K-8 Academy, we believe every student deserves to start the school year prepared for success! We’re excited to provide FREE mesh/clear book bags and school supplies for all students in Pre-K through 8th grade. 📚 What’s Included? ✅ Mesh/Clear Book Bag ✅ School Supplies ✅ Everything your child needs to start the year strong! 📝 Coming Soon: Each grade level will share an optional classroom wish list for families and community members who would like to support our teachers and students with additional classroom supplies. Thank you for partnering with us as we prepare for an amazing school year. Together, we’re building a foundation of excellence—one Bobcat at a time! ❤️💛 Dooly K-8 Academy Building a Foundation of Excellence #WeGotYou #DoolyK8Academy #BobcatPride #BackToSchool #BuildingAFoundationOfExcellence #StudentSuccess #CommunityStrong #EveryStudentEveryDay