More than 45,000 Hamilton County students return to the classroom Wednesday, and district officials say students and families can expect to see the school system continue to focus on the things that have made it successful.
That includes maintaining the district’s focus on academic achievement and personalization, Superintendent Justin Robertson said, as well as continuing literacy efforts in the early grades and efforts focused around the grades during which students transition to middle and high school.
It also means building relationships with students early to ensure they feel connected to their teachers and classmates, and that students feel valued and safe at school, he said.
(READ MORE: Three Hamilton County schools receive grants to create new outdoor learning spaces)
“I want every family and every student in our schools just to have a great experience this year,” Robertson said in a phone interview. “Of course, learning is a piece of that, but when you look at our ‘Portrait of a Graduate,’ there are so many different components that go beyond just being a good student. And so I hope that our families and our kids have a tremendous experience during the 2026-27 school year.”
ACADEMICS
This school year, the district is pushing the idea of “accelerate and elevate,” Robertson said. That includes both accelerating students who aren’t on grade level and ensuring school officials are intentional about helping students who are at or above grade level continue to demonstrate academic growth.
While the implementation will look different depending on the school, Robertson said it could include advanced students doing enrichment activities or extending their learning through clubs.
“Our curriculum has those, and we haven’t emphasized them as much in the past,” he said. “We’re planning to emphasize those going into this year.”
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
One of the district’s beliefs is that it’s a community responsibility to remove barriers to student success, Robertson said, but since the pandemic, it’s been more difficult for community organizations, such as Lions Clubs and churches, to partner with schools.
The community has shown that it wants to be involved and supportive, he said, and this year, the district wants to intentionally focus on that and help community organizations figure out how they can best support schools.
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“We can always use help with tutoring,” he said. “We can always use more hands, whether that’s painting or coming in to volunteer in a classroom, and we know that community support is an area that we’ve heard that we need to get better. We feel like that is an area that can really, not only improve outcomes for kids, but improve the experience of our families in our schools.”
The district is working on a framework for community partnerships. Robertson said that outline will likely be rolled out in phases.
What to know as Hamilton County students head back to school
STAFFING
Staffing for this school year looks good, Robertson said.
As of Wednesday, 99% of the district’s student-facing positions had been filled. The district has around 15 open teaching positions and about 16 other open student-facing positions, such as teacher assistants, Director of Communications Adison Lambert said.
Of the vacant teaching positions, just under half are for exceptional education teachers. The exceptional education department serves students with disabilities, as well as those identified as gifted.
Thirteen Hamilton County schools will welcome new principals this year. At the district level, the Harrison Bay and MidTown learning communities have new community superintendents.
(READ MORE: What to know about Hamilton County’s August 2026 election)
The district will also have new leadership. Voters will elect at least three new school board members Thursday.
When the new members take office in September, they’ll be joining a young school board. Of the 11-member board, at least eight won’t have served a full term, and none will have served longer than four years.
NEW LAWS
A variety of new Tennessee laws that affect K-12 public schools take effect this year.
Perhaps the most noticeable change in Hamilton County Schools this school year will be due to a law — sponsored by state Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Hixson — that requires school districts serving kindergarten through fifth-grade students to adopt a policy that governs their digital device use.
Under the policy the Hamilton County school board adopted in June, elementary and middle school students will no longer be assigned a device to take home. High school students will continue to be issued a device.
Other new laws include:
— Civics: Requires high schools to provide students enrolled in a U.S. government and civics class three civic engagement field days or similar opportunity, one for each branch of government.
— Religion: Allows but does not require public schools and colleges to teach students about the positive impacts of religion on American history. The permitted topics include religious influences on the U.S. Constitution, the role of the Ten Commandments in American legal tradition and references to divine authority in the Declaration of Independence.
— Fitness test: Requires public schools to administer the Presidential Fitness Test to assess students’ strength, endurance and flexibility.
— Holiday: Requires public schools to ensure students observe the Fourth of July during the school year by providing instruction on, among other topics, the founding of the United States, the separation of the original 13 colonies and the Declaration of Independence.
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.