Gilmer County Schools: 2026–27 Calendar, Board Office & Meeting Help
The Gilmer County Board of Education governs Gilmer County Schools in Ellijay and the surrounding North Georgia county. Families most often need the district calendar, Board office, meeting documents, school assignment, registration requirements or the correct school contact.
This guide covers the Georgia district at 134 Industrial Boulevard. It does not cover Gilmer County Schools in West Virginia, which uses a Glenville address and a different school system.
Gilmer County Board of Education GA quick facts
Board Chair
Current 2026 district material identifies Doug Pritchett as Board Chair.
District office
134 Industrial Blvd, Ellijay, GA 30540.
2026–27 first day
Students began the current school year on August 3, 2026.
Leadership update
The Board launched a search for Gilmer County’s next Superintendent in August 2026.
Wrong-state warning: there is also a Gilmer County Schools district in Glenville, West Virginia. For this article, verify that the official website is gilmerschools.com and the office address is in Ellijay, Georgia.
Board, district office or school: where should you start?
The Gilmer County Board of Education handles governance, policy, Board meetings, budgets, taxes, contracts and other matters placed on a public Board agenda.
Student registration and transfer questions belong with central enrollment or the district office. Daily attendance, schedules, teacher communication and campus-specific matters should begin with the student’s school.
Use the Board route for
Board meetings, agendas, minutes, policy, public Board actions, taxation decisions and Board-member information.
Use central office for
Enrollment, school assignment, transfers, curriculum, HR, finance and other district-wide services.
Use the school for
Attendance, teachers, schedules, pickup, student records, school events and day-to-day family questions.
Gilmer County Schools calendar dates
Gilmer County Schools maintains an official Board-approved calendar section. The current 2026–27 calendar begins in early August and includes fall, Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks plus several early-release periods.
| Date | 2026–27 school calendar item |
|---|---|
| Aug. 3, 2026 | First day of school. |
| Sept. 7, 2026 | Labor Day — no school. |
| Sept. 8–11, 2026 | Fall Break. |
| Oct. 9, 2026 | End of first nine weeks. |
| Oct. 22–23, 2026 | Early-release dates. |
| Nov. 23–27, 2026 | Thanksgiving Break. |
| Dec. 17–18, 2026 | Exam / early-release schedule. |
| Dec. 21, 2026–Jan. 1, 2027 | Christmas / New Year break period. |
| Jan. 6, 2027 | Second semester begins. |
| Jan. 18, 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. |
| Feb. 22–26, 2027 | Winter Break. |
| Apr. 5–9, 2027 | Spring Break. |
| May 25–26, 2027 | Exam / early-release days. |
| May 26, 2027 | Scheduled last day of school. |
Calendar verification: use the official Gilmer County Schools calendar download before booking travel, childcare or appointments. Weather, Board action or other district changes can alter a date after a planning calendar has been saved.
Gilmer County Board meetings, agendas and minutes
Gilmer County Schools maintains a Board section with separate routes for current Board meetings, older meetings, minutes, policies, recognitions and public participation.
Because the current official search results reviewed for this update did not expose a verified October 2026 meeting date and time, this page does not manufacture a “next meeting” from an older schedule pattern.
Open the official Board section
Start with the current Gilmer County Schools Board of Education page.
Select the current meetings route
The district separates newer Board meetings from older meeting archives.
Match the exact meeting date
Use the current agenda for the scheduled business rather than relying on a saved search-result snippet.
Check the minutes afterward
Minutes are the better source when you need to confirm what the Board actually approved.
Current 2026 context matters: the Board has recently held meetings related to the superintendent search and school-system tax matters, so special hearings or additional meetings may appear outside a simple monthly pattern.
Gilmer County Board of Education members
The current district Board page identifies five Board members. Current 2026 district communications identify Doug Pritchett as Board Chair.
| Member | Current role shown |
|---|---|
| Doug Pritchett | Board Chair |
| Chad DeBoard | Vice-Chair |
| Michael Parks | Board Member |
| Jacob Callihan | Board Member |
| Michele Penland | Board Member |
Time-sensitive information: Board officer assignments can change. Use the live district Board page before sending formal correspondence or publishing an updated member list elsewhere.
Gilmer County Schools is selecting a new Superintendent
Gilmer County Schools announced on August 27, 2026 that the search for its next Superintendent was underway. The Board had voted at its August 13 meeting to use Georgia Leadership Associates to facilitate the search.
The district said the search would be advertised statewide and that staff, parents and community members would be surveyed as the Board worked through the selection process.
Do not reuse an older superintendent name as current. Some older district documents and indexed pages still identify Dr. Brian Ridley, but the district’s current 2026 announcement says a search for the next Superintendent is underway.
What families should prepare for Gilmer County registration
District guidance says students generally must reside in Gilmer County with a parent, legal guardian or other qualifying caregiver and register for the school associated with their residence.
Central Enrollment: district guidance places Central Enrollment at the Administration and Technology Offices of Gilmer County Schools.
Exceptions matter: the district notes that requirements can differ for qualifying Migrant students, Out-of-School Youth and students protected under McKinney-Vento. Families in those situations should contact the district instead of assuming the standard documentation path applies.
Kindergarten and first-grade age requirements
Kindergarten
A student who is five years old on or before September 1 is eligible for Kindergarten under the district guidance.
First grade
A student who is six years old on or before September 1 is eligible for first grade.
Religious immunization objection: Gilmer County’s published guidance says a parent or legal guardian claiming a religious objection completes Georgia Form 2208 and the form must be notarized. Confirm the current process with the district before relying on an older downloaded handbook.
Intra-district transfer and school assignment
Gilmer County’s published school-assignment guidance allows a parent or guardian to request another public school in the county when classroom space is available after the initial enrollment period.
If a transfer is approved under the intra-district option, the parent is responsible for transportation to and from the selected school.
Gilmer County Schools in Ellijay
The current district serves students through elementary, middle and high-school campuses plus Pre-K programming.
| School / program | General level |
|---|---|
| Clear Creek Elementary School | Elementary. |
| Ellijay Elementary School | Elementary. |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Elementary. |
| Clear Creek Middle School | Middle school. |
| Gilmer High School | High school. |
| Gilmer County Pre-K | Pre-K program. |
For a student-specific attendance, pickup, academic or teacher question, begin with the student’s school rather than the Board Office.
Gilmer County Board of Education office address
Office vs school: use the Industrial Boulevard office for district-level business, enrollment and Board administration. Student-day issues normally belong with the individual campus.
Board records are different from student records
Board records
Meeting agendas, minutes, Board policies, financial records and other public district documents can be handled through Board or Open Records routes.
Student records
Grades, attendance, transcripts, health files, discipline information and individual education records belong with the school or authorized student-record process.
Protect private information
Do not include Social Security numbers, medical details, passwords, discipline records or confidential student information in public Board correspondence.
What parents should verify during the school year
Gilmer County school information problems and fixes
You landed on a West Virginia district
Georgia’s district is based in Ellijay at 134 Industrial Blvd and uses gilmerschools.com.
You found Dr. Brian Ridley listed as current Superintendent
That can come from older documents. The district announced a search for its next Superintendent in August 2026.
You cannot find the next Board meeting
Use the current Board Meetings section rather than calculating a date from an older meeting pattern.
You downloaded an old calendar
Compare it with the district’s current Board-approved calendar download before relying on it.
Your child is changing elementary schools
Confirm attendance area and transfer eligibility before assuming the requested school is available.
You do not have standard enrollment documents
Contact Central Enrollment, especially if the student may qualify for McKinney-Vento or another documented exception.
Gilmer County Schools links
Board & governance
Gilmer County Board of Education FAQs
Which Gilmer County Board of Education does this page cover?
This page covers Gilmer County Schools in Ellijay, Georgia. It does not cover Gilmer County Schools in Glenville, West Virginia.
Where is the Gilmer County Board of Education office?
The Georgia district office is at 134 Industrial Blvd, Ellijay, GA 30540.
What is the Gilmer County Schools phone number?
The main district number is 706-276-5000.
Who is the current Gilmer County Board Chair?
Current 2026 Gilmer County Schools material identifies Doug Pritchett as Board Chair.
Who are the Gilmer County Board members?
The current Board page identifies Doug Pritchett, Chad DeBoard, Michael Parks, Jacob Callihan and Michele Penland.
Who is the current Gilmer County Superintendent?
Gilmer County Schools announced in August 2026 that a search for its next Superintendent was underway. Check the current district leadership page because older documents may still display prior leadership.
When did Gilmer County Schools start in 2026?
The 2026–27 school year began for students on August 3, 2026.
When is Fall Break in 2026?
The current 2026–27 calendar places Fall Break on September 8–11, following the September 7 Labor Day holiday.
When is Thanksgiving Break?
The 2026–27 calendar places Thanksgiving Break on November 23–27, 2026.
When is Spring Break in 2027?
The current calendar places Spring Break on April 5–9, 2027.
When is the scheduled last day of school?
The current 2026–27 planning calendar lists May 26, 2027 as the scheduled last day, with an early-release schedule.
What documents are needed for new-student enrollment?
District guidance lists proof of residence, a certified birth certificate, Georgia Form 3231, Georgia Form 3300 and a requested Social Security card, with exceptions for certain protected student circumstances.
What is the Kindergarten age cutoff?
A child who is five years old on or before September 1 is eligible for Kindergarten under the district’s published guidance.
Can a student transfer to another Gilmer County school?
The district publishes an intra-district transfer option subject to space and current Board policy. Parents are responsible for transportation when a school-choice transfer is approved.
Is BoardofEducations.org the official Gilmer County school website?
No. BoardofEducations.org is an independent information guide. The official Georgia district website is gilmerschools.com.
Gilmer County Schools verification checklist
Independent information guide: BoardofEducations.org is not Gilmer County Schools, the Gilmer County Board of Education or the Georgia Department of Education. Official Gilmer County Schools calendars, meeting records, policies and enrollment instructions take priority.