In Catoosa County “preparing students to meet life’s challenges” is more than an educational mission statement. It is the force that generated six Georgia Schools of Excellence and three National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. This impetus continues today, guiding the school system, parents, businesses, and community to prepare our children to succeed in the 21st century. With innovative programs in instructional technology, business-in-education partnerships, and grant programs such as the Eagle Option, Catoosa County is helping students meet the challenges of tomorrow.
List of Catoosa County Schools

Aggressive Building Plan

We recognize that safe, energy-efficient, spacious, and comfortable educational facilities are vital to preparing children to succeed. More than $21 million has been invested in new and existing facilities.

An essential tool for ensuring that students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed is ample computer equipment. Catoosa County maintains 21 computer labs in its 12 schools with a 6:1 student to computer ration in 2000. Additionally, all of the county’s library media centers are networked and can be accessed from each classroom.

Business-in-Education Partnerships

Partnership 2000, a Business-in-Education program, has been recognized by the Georgia Industrial Developers Association as the Outstanding Elementary/Secondary Partnership Program in the State. Two of its partners, Salem Carpets (Shaw Industries) and the Catoosa County’s Sheriff’s Department have been recognized with State Awards of Excellence in Business/Education Partnerships.

Partnership 2000’s maxim is “Our community will be then what we make of it now.” This award-winning Business-in-Education Partnership unites the human and financial resources of local businesses, civic organizations, and the community in achieving a better quality of education for Catoosa County’s children. With 70 school partnerships and nine school system partnerships, members of Partnership 2000 volunteer over 3,000 hours of service and provide over $200,000 for Catoosa County’s school children each year.

HOPE Scholarship Program

The HOPE Scholarship is Georgia's unique and nationally recognized program for helping its students succeed. Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) is former Governor Zell Miller's educational program to reward students who have earned good grades by helping with the expense of continuing their education after they graduate from high school.

HOPE may be used at public technical colleges and eligible public or private colleges and universities in Georgia. The program is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education which began in 1993.

How It Works
You may receive HOPE assistance if you enroll at an eligible Georgia public technical college. The HOPE Grant is awarded for study leading to a certificate or diploma. Many technical colleges offer two-year degree programs as well. The HOPE Scholarship is awarded to students in degree programs, who must meet different qualifications than students earning a certificate or diploma.

The HOPE Grant
Georgia residents who are attending a Georgia public technical college to earn a certificate or diploma are eligible for a HOPE Grant regardless of high school graduation date or grade average. You may receive the Hope Grant for an unlimited number of programs that qualify under the guidelines.

Full-time enrollment is not required, but you must be making satisfactory academic progress to maintain eligibility. You are not required to maintain a "B" average to renew your HOPE Grant.

For more information, visit the Georgia Student Finance Commission Website.

EDUCATION LINKS

Catoosa County Public Schools- www.catoosa.k12.ga.us

Partnership 2000 - www.p2000.org

Dalton State College - www.daltonstate.edu

Northwestern Technical College - www.nwtcollege.org

Georgia Dept. of Education's Annual Report Card - accountability.doe.k12.ga.us/Report01/