Schools

Election Day 2014 Will Mean Day Off for Gwinnett Students

But the 2014-15 school year will begin a day earlier than first planned.

The November 2014 elections will mean an earlier start to the 2014-15 school year for many Gwinnett County students.

Gwinnett County Public Schools says the district will return to school on Tuesday, Aug. 5, one day earlier than originally scheduled.

The reason? With several big races — including governor and a vacated U.S. Senate seat — voter turnout is expected to be high on Election Day, Nov. 4. And since many Gwinnett schools also serve as polling places, the decision was to make the day a holiday for teachers and students.

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“As many of our schools serve as polling sites, we felt this change was in order for a number of reasons,” Associate Superintendent for School Improvement and Operations Dr. Kevin Tashlein said. “Clearly, safety is a concern when you have large numbers of people entering and exiting a school during school hours. The additional traffic associated with large numbers of voters can create congestion that can affect bus routes and car rider lanes as parking is limited at schools.”

Teachers will also report a day earlier on July 29.

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