WRDW-TV News 12 / EducationTeam 12 - School news for Augusta, Georgia

Georgia Department of Education

Burke County
Columbia County
Emanuel County
Glascock County
Hancock County
Jefferson County
Jenkins County
Johnson County
Lincoln County
McDuffie County
Oglethorpe County
Richmond County
Screven County
Taliaferro County
Warren County
Washington County
Wilkes County

South Carolina Department of Education

Aiken County
Allendale County
Bamberg District 1
Bamberg District 2
Barnwell District 19
Barnwell District 45
Barnwell: Williston District 29
Edgefield County
Hampton District 1
Hampton District 2
McCormick County
Orangeburg District 4
Orangeburg District 5
Saluda County

Georgia students score well on AP exams
Last Updated: 2:14 PM 02/08/12 - The College Board released its annual report Wednesday showing that Georgia ranks 13th in the country for the percentage of students scoring 3 or higher on the tests.
Inside look at the first public Montessori classroom in our area
Last Updated: 9:28 AM 02/08/12 - A South Carolina school is taking a new approach to education, through the use of Montessori classrooms, which allow students to work at their own pace. Barnwell Primary has started one of the first public programs in the area.
Mended Hearts group tours Aiken Tech
Last Updated: 2:05 PM 02/07/12 - A group of approximately 10 members from the organization toured the nursing lab, new paramedic classroom and visited with the Sim Man and Sim Baby.
Gov. Deal announces need-based scholarship
Last Updated: 4:14 PM 02/06/12 - AT&T joined the governor at Georgia Tech to announce the company will contribute $250,000 to the REACH Scholarship program.
Bus driver under investigation after kids claim he threatened to kill them
Last Updated: 7:55 PM 02/03/12 - School officials are now speaking to News 12 about allegations involving a Columbia County bus driver making threats to elementary students.
North Augusta High students pledge to stop texting while driving
Last Updated: 7:25 PM 01/31/12 - Students at North Augusta High School are taking a pledge to stop texting and driving.
Free tutoring program in Richmond Co. helps low-income families
Last Updated: 8:57 PM 01/29/12 - Students of all ages are seeing their schoolwork improve thanks to a free tutoring program. An information fair was held on Saturday morning for parents interested in signing their children up for the program.
Local universities work to cut student costs after Obama put them on 'notice'
Last Updated: 1:13 PM 01/27/12 - Colleges in Aiken and Augusta are accepting his challenge with open arms.
Board of Regents names Consolidation Committee members
Last Updated: 7:37 PM 01/26/12 - The Board of Regents released the names of members selected for the Implementation Work Group for the ASU and GHSU consolidation.
Morning bus accident sends students to hospital
Last Updated: 12:08 PM 01/26/12 - A morning school bus accident sent 21 students to local hospitals.
Program targets students in elementary school to decrease dropout rate
Last Updated: 12:50 PM 01/26/12 - Only 80 percent of Georgia students graduated from high school in 2010. It's not just a problem for the dropouts, it can affect our community's bottom line, too.
Backpack program to feed hungry students over weekends doubles schools it supports
Last Updated: 1:41 PM 01/25/12 - Golden Harvest Food bank's backpack program is increasing its outreach efforts to more schools in Aiken County. They are able to fund more programs because more of you are stepping up to the plate to donate.
Hundreds expected for Ga. charter school rally
Last Updated: 7:07 PM 01/25/12 - Hundreds of charter school supporters are expected to turn out for a rally at the state Capitol.
Splash program aims to prevent accidental drownings through education
Last Updated: 12:14 PM 01/24/12 - The CDC says 10 people die from drowning accidents every day. In an effort to prevent those accidents, the Family Y is trying to provide safety lessons to more than 3,000 Richmond County students.
Students protest violence, bullying at Occupy Cross Creek
Last Updated: 7:48 PM 01/20/12 - Friday was the final day of a week-long campaign at Cross Creek High School. Students wore camouflage to protest violence and bullying on campus and in the community.
Merriwether student wins district spelling bee
Last Updated: 12:23 PM 01/20/12 - Meg will now represent the Edgefield County School District at the local qualifying round for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Atlanta to repay $363K for cheating
Last Updated: 12:24 PM 01/20/12 - A state investigation in July revealed widespread cheating by educators in nearly half of the district's 100 schools dating back to 2001.
Ed Dept. seeks public input on cheating
Last Updated: 12:33 PM 01/20/12 - Some experts say pressure to perform on tests created an environment that contributed to the cheating.
Russell: 'Private investment' to 'drive' new push for downtown stadium, tax dollars 'not on the table'
Last Updated: 8:07 PM 01/18/12 - City Administrator Fred Russell is expected to present his vision to commissioners in the next 30 days.
17 local schools recognized for excellence
Last Updated: 6:04 PM 01/18/12 - 17 Georgia schools in our area are being recognized for excellence by Governor Nathan Deal's office.
Documents: Ga. college mergers could mean layoffs
Last Updated: 3:21 PM 01/18/12 - Chancellor Hank Huckaby has declined to say how much money will be saved by the mergers or how many jobs may be eliminated.
Clemson wants to hire 86 new faculty over 5 years
Last Updated: 2:55 PM 01/18/12 - Barker says the 86 new positions will boost the university's four focus areas: health, energy, environmental sustainability and transportation.
Ga. Tech gets $3.5M for transportation research
Last Updated: 1:50 PM 01/18/12 - The consortium is one of 22 university transportation centers to get grants from the U.S. Transportation Department.
Richmond County BOE approves new graduation dates
Last Updated: 3:13 PM 01/18/12 - A scheduling conflict with the James Brown Arena caused the change. Lady Antebellum will be performing there during the dates that were first selected for graduation.
Georgia makes grade in overall education; school leaders want to see more improvement
Last Updated: 2:08 PM 01/18/12 - A new report from Education Week gives Georgia schools a B- and ranks the state No. 7 in the nation for overall state grade.
Officials: 4,200 students lost HOPE grants
Last Updated: 4:53 PM 01/17/12 - Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson told state lawmakers Tuesday during a budget hearing that the students no longer qualified for the awards starting last month.
Ga. could hear by end of month on education waiver
Last Updated: 3:58 PM 01/17/12 - The state also wants to use a five-star system and colored flags to indicate whether a school is making gains.
Legislation gives parents chance to choose which school their child attends
Last Updated: 12:53 PM 01/17/12 - It's the third year for the program under Georgia State House Bill 251 and deadlines for applications are fast approaching.
Parents planning for future, counting on more HOPE scholarship cuts
Last Updated: 8:43 PM 01/16/12 - After an overhaul last year, HOPE now covers 80 to 90 percent of tuition for students who have a 3.0 GPA. Program leaders say by fall 2014, they will need more money to keep it going.
Ga. budget offers schools end of major new cuts
Last Updated: 12:12 PM 01/16/12 - Teachers and school leaders say they are glad the governor did not make deep, new cuts to education programs like those that occurred during the Great Recession.
Gov. Haley's budget cuts taxes, education
Last Updated: 6:58 PM 01/13/12 - Gov. Nikki Haley's first budget proposal calls for corporations and people to get a break on their income taxes, while public workers in South Carolina go a fourth year without a pay raise.
Dr. Azziz: 'No significant plan' for layoffs in GHSU/ASU merger
Last Updated: 8:25 PM 01/12/12 - Students, faculty, and staff got their opportunity to speak out on the new Augusta State and Georgia Health Sciences University merger Thursday.
USC: School, alumni have $4B annual impact on SC
Last Updated: 1:45 PM 01/12/12 - According to its website, the university had more than 44,000 students enrolled at all eight campuses in fall 2010, with more than 307,000 alumni.
State wants delay in career path program
Last Updated: 11:57 AM 01/12/12 - The law requires ninth-graders to settle on a job in one of 17 broad fields, or career pathways, such as agriculture, education and finance.
Burke Co. superintendent to retire
Last Updated: 4:49 PM 01/11/12 - Bailey's last day will be June 1, 2012. Right now, there is no word on when the search to replace her will begin.
Richmond Co. BOE reschedules graduation dates after conflict with concert
Last Updated: 7:26 PM 01/11/12 - The measure will come up for final approval by the full board at its regular meeting next Tuesday.
Gene Machine opens new opportunities for SC students in science careers
Last Updated: 1:06 PM 01/11/12 - It costs thousands of dollars and it's there to better teach students about their bodies.
SC state leaders want 'flexibility' from No Child Left Behind
Last Updated: 11:54 PM 01/10/12 - The goal is to get input from you as state leaders look to apply for a waiver from the highly controversial No Child Left Behind Act.
ASU president puts aside 'ego,' embraces GHSU/ASU merger
Last Updated: 8:53 PM 01/10/12 - It was standing room only as the Georgia Board of Regents voted unanimously in favor of merging Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University.
Town hall meetings on ASU/GHSU merger scheduled for Thursday
Last Updated: 3:20 PM 01/10/12 - The consolidation would begin immediately with a target date of fall 2013 for full integration. The next steps would be the appointment of a broad-based implementation work group.
First on 12: Plan to merge ASU/GHSU passes unanimously
Last Updated: 8:48 PM 01/10/12 - Gov. Nathan Deal and Mayor Deke Copenhaver have told News 12's Chris Thomas that the merger would be good for the city of Augusta and the state as a whole.
Toy guns pose serious threat in schools
Last Updated: 6:33 PM 01/10/12 - When police shot and killed a Texas eighth grader last week, they initially thought he was holding a real gun.
Only on 12: Gov. Deal GHSU/ASU merger 'bodes very well' for city, state
Last Updated: 8:41 PM 01/09/12 - Officials will vote on the university consolidation plan Tuesday. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is talking Only to 12 about the merger.
Columbia Co. superintendent says more education cuts are coming
Last Updated: 7:42 PM 01/09/12 - We're barely into 2012, so it's hard to think about 2013, but for local schools, it's already time to make decisions about the budget for the next school year.
New law allows Richmond Co. parents to transfer children to new schools
Last Updated: 4:47 PM 01/09/12 - A new law in the state of Georgia allows parents in Richmond County to apply to send their child to another school within the Richmond County School System.
Zais discussing SC's No Child Left Behind waiver
Last Updated: 2:29 PM 01/09/12 - Zais says he wants to replace the federal government's all-or-nothing accountability system with one that makes sense.
Evans High School band students recall 'trip of a lifetime'
Last Updated: 7:09 PM 01/06/12 - It's the ultimate field trip: a week in London. News 12 sat down with a few of the students to talk about what many of them are calling a once in a lifetime experience.
Augusta mayor: GHSU/ASU merger a 'very, very big deal,' forecasts 'growing pains'
Last Updated: 7:47 PM 01/05/12 - News 12 first told you the merger was imminent following our report on Tuesday. Sources have told News 12 the merger is a done deal, but we'll soon have the official announcement.
UPDATE: GHSU, Sen. Hardie send out news releases on merger being added to agenda
Last Updated: 7:38 PM 01/05/12 - The merger will be on the Board of Regents' agenda for their meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sources: GHSU/ASU merger announcement imminent
Last Updated: 11:41 AM 01/04/12 - Sources tell News 12 a Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University merger is imminent.