This article has been updated.
Habersham County Superintendent Patrick Franklin debuted the “Habersham Ready” initiative during the county’s Board of Education meeting Monday night. The initiative aims to provide basic school supplies for every child attending the county’s schools.
“Gone are the days of the school supply list in Habersham County,” Franklin said. “[Habersham Ready] will ensure that students have what they need to start school again without burdening our families.”
According to a press release from Habersham County Schools, classrooms in the county will receive a “complete, customized set of essential school supplies tailored to each grade level” through the use of “penny sales tax” funds.
Basic supplies in each set include pencils, pens, markers, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, and other essential classroom supplies, said Franklin.
Items not provided by Habersham Ready are backpacks, earbuds, and headphones due to hygiene awareness and personal preference.
“This initiative reflects the Habersham County School’s deep commitment to community collaboration and ‘Success for All Students,’” the press release said. “It’s another step in our mission to ensure that every student is truly Habersham Ready — prepared to learn, grow, and thrive.”
Franklin took time to thank Angie Anderson, the administrative assistant and county school district bookkeeper, for her contribution to the program.
“This is a big deal when you’re ordering this amount of products, making sure it gets shipped to the right place, getting it broke down to the right quantity, but I think it’s gonna be a wonderful thing for our families,” he said.
Families can expect Habersham Ready to take effect by the start of the new school year.
