Augusta School Board, 2026–27 Calendar & Family Action Guide
Richmond County Board of Education searches can lead to the wrong state, a stale Board roster or a generic directory that does not explain what families actually need to do. This guide covers the Richmond County School System in Augusta, Georgia and clearly separates Board business from school-level services.
Use it to verify Board meetings, find the correct school or zone, register or transfer a student, complete Parent Portal updates, register for transportation, understand attendance rules, request transcripts, report safety concerns, access disability services, resolve school problems and reach the correct official action page.
Richmond County Board of Education Augusta GA quick facts
District
Richmond County School System, Georgia.
Central Office
864 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901.
Main phone
Superintendent
Dr. Malinda Cobb.
Board President
Shawnda Stovall.
Regular Board meeting
Third Tuesday, normally 6:00 p.m.
Committee meeting
Second Tuesday, normally 4:00 p.m.
Official domain
rcboe.org
Wrong-state warning: this guide covers Richmond County School System in Augusta, Georgia. Richmond County Schools in Hamlet, North Carolina is an entirely different district.
After verifying that your question belongs to Richmond County, Georgia, use the district site for current action.
Open Richmond County School System →Which Richmond County office should handle your problem?
| Your need | Best first contact | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Board agenda, policy or governance | Board resources | This is Board-level business. |
| Classroom or academic concern | Teacher | RCSS identifies the teacher as the first resource. |
| Unresolved school concern | Principal / Assistant Principal | School administration can investigate and act locally. |
| Further unresolved concern | Assistant Superintendent | RCSS publishes this as the next district escalation level. |
| Registration or school assignment | Registration Central / zoned school | Residency and student documents determine the workflow. |
| Bus route or tracking | Transportation | Transportation manages route and tracking resources. |
| IEP / disability concern | School / Special Education | IDEA, Child Find or Section 504 procedures may apply. |
| Transcript | Student Records / school | This is not an Open Records request. |
Richmond County Board members and District 3 status
RCSS currently divides Board representation into Districts 1–8 plus two at-large seats. The official contact page also publishes each member’s assigned district schools and term-ending date.
| District | Member/status | Position | Term shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawnda Stovall | President | 12/31/2029 |
| 2 | Charlie Hannah | Member | 12/31/2026 |
| 3 | Verify current representative | Official page still displays Walter H. Eubanks | Page shows 12/31/2026 |
| 4 | Shontae Boyd | Member | 12/31/2029 |
| 5 | Monique Braswell | Member | 12/31/2029 |
| 6 | Edward D. Lowery | Vice-President | 12/31/2026 |
| 7 | Charlie Walker, Jr. | Member | 12/31/2026 |
| 8 | Mary Jane Abbott | Member | 12/31/2029 |
| 9 | Venus Cain | At Large | 12/31/2026 |
| 10 | Samantha Valentine | At Large | 12/31/2029 |
District 3 warning: RCSS announced on June 23, 2026 that longtime District 3 Board member Walter H. Eubanks had passed away. The Board contact page still displays his profile. No replacement was verified in the official material checked for this August 14 update, so confirm District 3 before sending formal correspondence.
Board role: RCSS describes the Board as its policy-making and legislative body. Day-to-day operational authority is delegated in part to the Superintendent.
Use the district contact page immediately before reaching out because officer roles and the District 3 seat can change.
Check current RCBOE member contacts →Board meetings, committee meetings, agendas and livestreams
Official address mismatch: some current Board event entries show 864 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30904, while the RCSS Central Office address throughout the district website is 864 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. Verify the individual event before traveling.
Do not assume every meeting follows the monthly pattern
Called meetings
For example, RCSS listed a July 14, 2026 Called Board Meeting from 2:00–5:00 p.m. concerning personnel and the Superintendent’s evaluation.
Combined meeting days
On July 21, 2026, the district listed a committee meeting from 4:00–6:00 p.m. followed by the regular Board meeting from 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Open the Board calendar
Find the exact meeting rather than calculating a Tuesday from the recurring schedule.
Confirm the meeting type
Regular, committee and called meetings can have different times and purposes.
Open the Simbli agenda
Use the actual agenda and attachments for the issue you are researching.
Verify the event location
Check the street address and meeting venue in the live event listing.
Use livestream or recordings
For final Board action, match the discussion to the correct meeting and official record.
The official Board page combines the meeting calendar, agenda access, livestream and recordings.
Open RCBOE meeting information →How Richmond County Board policy review works
Families do not have to wait until after a final vote to learn that a policy is changing. RCSS publishes a review process that includes stakeholder feedback.
Draft or revision is developed
Policy and Legal Compliance works with the policy-review process.
Board receives the proposal
Members review proposed language before final adoption.
30-day stakeholder review
RCSS says proposed policy is posted online for 30 days for feedback.
Feedback returns to the Board
Stakeholder feedback is provided for Board consideration.
Final vote
The Board considers final revisions and votes following the review process.
Policy questions: the district’s Policy and Legal Compliance Office lists the main district number at extension 5420 and covers Board policies, Title IX, Section 504, IDEA, Open Records and other compliance matters.
Use the district policy source rather than an older handbook snippet.
Open RCBOE Policies →Richmond County Board of Education address and phone
Call faster: tell the operator the exact task—Board agenda, registration, transportation, Student Records, Special Education, Parent Portal or another specific department.
Find your Richmond County school, zone and program
RCSS reports more than 28,000 students across 54 schools and programs. The district includes traditional elementary, middle and high schools plus K-8, magnet, virtual, alternative and career-focused programs.
Elementary
Includes schools such as Bayvale, Belair, Blythe, Copeland, Goshen, Gracewood, Hephzibah, McBean, Meadowbrook, Richmond Hill, Warren Road and others.
Middle / K-8
Includes Belair, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah, Langford-Tutt, Pine Hill, Richmond Hill, Hornsby and Freedom Park K-8.
High schools
Academy of Richmond County, Cross Creek, Butler, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah, Laney, Josey and Westside.
Magnet
A.R. Johnson, C.T. Walker, Davidson Fine Arts and Richmond County Technical Career Magnet.
Special programs
Cyber Academy, Alternative School at Morgan Road, Marion E. Barnes Career Center, RPM and Performance Learning Center are among district programs.
Do not guess your zone
Use RCSS’s School Zone & Bus Stop Locator before registering or assuming the nearest campus is assigned to your address.
Use the district-linked locator with the student’s actual residential address.
Open RCSS Students & Families tools →Richmond County Schools calendar, first days and bell schedules
Preplanning
July 29–August 4, 2026.
Elementary first day
August 5, 2026.
K-8 / Magnet / Middle / High
August 6, 2026.
Live calendar
Use RCSS for holidays, testing and later changes.
Main 2026–27 bell tiers
| Tier | Daily schedule | Typical schools/programs |
|---|---|---|
| First Tier | 7:25 a.m.–2:15 p.m. | Selected elementary/K-8 campuses and Butler, Cross Creek, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah, Josey and Westside. |
| Second Tier | 8:20 a.m.–3:10 p.m. | Selected elementary schools, Academy of Richmond County and Laney. |
| Third Tier | 9:15 a.m.–4:20 p.m. | Belair, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah, Langford-Tutt, Pine Hill, Richmond Hill and Hornsby middle schools. |
| Magnet | 8:30 a.m.–3:25 p.m. | A.R. Johnson, C.T. Walker, Davidson and RCTCM. |
Early-release caution: the Academic Calendar page publishes separate early-release buckets whose “regular dismissal” labels do not perfectly mirror every current bell-schedule time. For pickup or childcare, use your child’s exact school schedule rather than calculating the early-release time yourself.
The district’s Academic Calendar page contains the current 2026–27 academic calendar, testing calendar, early-release schedules and bell schedules.
Open RCSS Academic Calendar →How to register, transfer or update a Richmond County student
| Your situation | First action | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| New K-12 student | Complete online registration | Save the application/confirmation number, then submit documents to the school. |
| Pre-K student | Use the Pre-K process | RCSS says Pre-K is not registered through the normal online K-12 system. |
| Moving to another RCSS zone | Update Parent Portal address | Contact the new zoned school and provide residency/transfer documents. |
| Returning student | Complete annual update | RCSS requires contact and transportation information to be reviewed each year. |
| Family in transition | Contact Homeless Liaison support | Do not delay asking for help because traditional proof-of-residency documents are unavailable. |
| Living with another household | Use special residency process | A notarized third-person affidavit and host-residency documents may be required. |
Documents for a new K-12 student
Second proof-of-residency examples
RCSS accepts options such as a current lease/rental agreement, home-purchase agreement, recent tax return, current paycheck stub, Medicaid card, residential property-tax statement, warranty or quitclaim deed, homeowner’s insurance policy or driver’s license alongside the current utility bill.
Enrollment Disclosure Form: the current Registration Central page still calls this a “New 2025–26” requirement for students enrolling in grades 4–12. Because that wording is stale during the 2026–27 school year, confirm the current form/version with the school before relying on a downloaded older copy.
Registration Central contains the current new-student, Pre-K, kindergarten, transfer, home-school, withdrawal, residency and support routes.
Open RCSS Registration Central →Richmond County Pre-K age rules, documents and waiting lists
Age
Child must be four on or before September 1, 2026.
Eligible birth dates
September 2, 2021 through September 1, 2022.
Residency
Child must reside in Georgia.
Missed the lottery? RCSS says Pre-K sites maintain waiting lists. Families who did not participate in the lottery can contact an interested school and request placement on its waiting list; students may be on multiple waiting lists.
Parent Portal activation, annual updates and bus registration
Infinite Campus is central to the RCSS family workflow. Families use it for grades and attendance, but also for annual household/contact updates and transportation registration.
Brand-new to RCSS? Register the student first. RCSS specifically says a new family should register its child before creating the Parent Portal account.
Creating a new Parent Portal account
Get the Activation Key
RCSS provides an Activation Key lookup for new Parent Portal accounts.
Enter the requested student information
The current RCSS instructions use the last four digits of the student’s Social Security Number during key lookup.
Save the GUID / activation code
Use it to create the account.
Contact the registrar if identity information fails
RCSS directs families to the Data Clerk/Registrar when the Social Security information does not work.
Annual Update & Bus Registration
Log into Parent Portal
Open Online Registration under Shortcuts.
Select Existing Students Annual Updates & Bus Registration
Click Start, then Begin.
Review household information
Check home address, primary phone, guardians and emergency contacts.
Complete transportation for every child
RCSS says families should complete the transportation section even for students who do not currently plan to ride.
Sign and submit
Completed sections show green checks before final submission.
Use the district Parent Portal page or contact the student’s school when credentials or identity matching fails.
Open RCSS Parent Portal help →Magnet schools, HB251 and zone-exemption transfers
| Option | Use it when | Key restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Magnet / Specialized Program | Student wants a dedicated academic or specialized program. | Application requirements, grades, testing and sometimes auditions apply. |
| HB251 | Family wants another RCSS school with available capacity. | Only schools with available capacity are listed. |
| Extreme-hardship zone exemption | A genuine documented hardship exists. | Not intended for general dissatisfaction or ordinary parent-school conflict. |
HB251 deadline for this update: RCSS lists August 14, 2026 at midnight as the final 2026–27 HB251 deadline. Applications submitted August 5–14 are scheduled for decision emails on August 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. If you read this after August 14, treat that deadline as historical and check the current School Choice page.
2026–27 HB251 schools RCSS currently lists with capacity
| Level | Schools |
|---|---|
| Elementary | Copeland, Goshen, Jamestown, McBean and Meadowbrook. |
| Middle | Glenn Hills Middle. |
| High | Cross Creek, Glenn Hills, Hephzibah and Lucy C. Laney. |
Extreme-hardship transfer rules families often miss
Use RCSS because school capacity and application windows can change.
Check HB251 transfer status → Open RCSS School Choice →Absence excuses, doctor notes, tardies and truancy
Serious attendance threshold: RCSS says administrators will petition the Juvenile Court System when a student has 10 unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in one year. Families approaching an attendance intervention should contact the school promptly rather than relying only on this summary.
Use the district page for recognized excuses, definitions and current procedures.
Open RCSS Attendance →Richmond County Schools transportation help
Transportation
InfoFinder
Use it for bus-route and school-zone lookup.
StopFinder
Invitation-based bus tracking for verified families.
Daily substitutions
RCSS maintains a separate current bus-substitution resource.
StopFinder invitation missing? Confirm the parent/guardian email address in Infinite Campus first. The district uses invitation emails as part of the app’s security process.
The Transportation page links InfoFinder, StopFinder and other current tools.
Open RCSS Transportation →Transcript, diploma, verification or Open Records request?
| What you need | Cost / timing | Correct route |
|---|---|---|
| Transcript | $15; typically 7–10 school business days | Student Records / online order if eligible. |
| Education verification | $30 | Online Student Records verification process. |
| Replacement diploma | $50 to Jostens; six weeks or longer | Authorization form + valid photo ID, then Jostens instructions. |
| Public/government record | Varies; first quarter-hour of work is free | Open Records portal. |
| IEP / immunization / birth certificate / Social Security Card | Not Student Records service | School or appropriate department. |
RCSS page inconsistency for recent graduates: the Records page now labels a section “Current Students (including Class of 2026 graduates)” but the next sentence says students who are currently enrolled or graduated in 2025 should request transcripts through the school counselor/principal. Recent 2025–26 graduates should verify the correct route with Student Records at 706-826-1129 before paying.
Before paying for a transcript
Read Student Records instructions before choosing the request type or paying a fee.
Open RCSS Student Records →When to use an RCBOE Open Records request
Use Open Records when you want existing public records from the governmental school system. Do not use this process to request a child’s private education file.
Three-business-day response
RCSS says Georgia governmental entities have three business days from receipt to issue an initial reply.
Request existing records
The law does not require the district to answer questions, conduct research or create a new report.
Student records excluded
Private student information protected by FERPA is not an ordinary Open Records request.
Use the official Open Records instructions rather than Student Records.
Open RCBOE Open Records guidance →How to resolve a school concern or report a safety issue
Parent concern escalation
Teacher
RCSS identifies the teacher as the first resource for classroom, academic-progress and school-related questions.
Principal / Assistant Principal
Escalate unresolved issues to school administration.
Assistant Superintendent
Use the appropriate district administrator when additional support is needed.
Anonymous safety reporting
The dedicated RCSS Safety Tip Line page allows anonymous reporting for concerns including bullying/cyberbullying, harassment, violence, suicide threats or self-injury concerns, drugs, theft, gangs, weapons, vandalism, arson and other safety threats.
Official-site phone conflict: the dedicated Safety Tip Line page and RCSS site footer give 706-828-1077, while the “Addressing Your Concerns” page currently says 706-826-1107. Because RCSS itself publishes both numbers, use the dedicated Safety Tip Line/Sprigeo route or confirm the current phone number with the district. Do not rely on this article for an immediate emergency response.
The dedicated Safety Tip Line page is the clearest official route currently available.
Open RCSS Safety Tip Line → Open parent concern escalation →Special education and disability-support help
Special Education, Child Find and Section 504 solve different problems. Start with the child’s situation rather than assuming every disability-related issue requires the same form.
Child Find
Use when a child may have a disability and needs identification/evaluation.
IDEA / IEP
Eligible students ages 3–21 may receive special education and related services at no cost to families.
Section 504
Use the district 504 route when disability accommodations/access are the central issue.
Who RCSS Child Find covers
Privacy: never upload an IEP, diagnosis, evaluation, psychological report or medical file to an unofficial school-information site.
Use the specific district department rather than a generic Board contact.
Open RCSS Child Find → Open Special Education →When an RCSS disciplinary tribunal may apply
A routine classroom consequence and a district disciplinary tribunal are not the same. RCSS uses hearing officers/panels for allegations that, if substantiated, may warrant consequences exceeding a ten-school-day suspension.
Important distinction: do not discuss a student’s confidential disciplinary case during public Board comment as a substitute for the formal student-discipline process.
Use the district’s Student Discipline guidance for the formal due-process route.
Read the RCSS Tribunal Guide →Families in transition and the Richmond County Success Center
Success Center
Tubman Education Center, 1740 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904.
Published hours
8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Families in transition
RCSS offers additional registration support when homelessness, motel residence, shelter use or other temporary housing affects normal paperwork.
If you are staying with another person
When shared housing is not caused by economic hardship, RCSS may require a notarized third-person affidavit of residency, identification for the person whose name is on the residence, matching residency proof, and that person to be listed as a contact on the registration form.
Homeless / hardship registration help: RCSS currently lists 706-826-1129 for families needing assistance with registration documentation due to transition or economic hardship.
The Success Center is intended to reduce barriers that interfere with student participation and success.
Open Student & Family Support Services →Withdrawal, school transfer and home-school preparation
Withdrawing
RCSS says schools normally require about 24 hours to prepare a withdrawal packet, although approval or other issues can take longer.
Home school
RCSS does not provide or endorse home-school courses. Georgia’s Declaration of Intent is submitted through the Georgia Department of Education.
Parent Portal, bus tracking, meals and digital tools
Infinite Campus
Grades, attendance, assignments, household updates and annual bus registration.
StopFinder
Secure bus-tracking information for invited families.
MySchoolBucks
RCSS surfaces MySchoolBucks through its Parent Log In area.
Lunch menus
Use current district menus instead of a saved monthly menu after the month changes.
Canvas / Launchpad
RCSS provides digital learning and student-login tools separately from Parent Portal.
District messaging
Keep phone and email current in Infinite Campus so voicemail, email and text updates can reach the family.
Richmond County School System jobs
RCSS recruits for teaching, transportation, nutrition, nursing, special education and other school-system positions. Vacancy availability changes, so live Human Resources listings should control.
Bus-driver applicants: RCSS says drivers need a CDL to operate a school bus and that free training is available to qualified candidates.
Use Human Resources instead of a cached search-engine job listing.
Open RCSS Human Resources →Richmond County Georgia vs Richmond County North Carolina
Augusta, Georgia
This article.
Richmond County School System
864 Broad Street, Augusta
706-826-1000
rcboe.org
Hamlet, North Carolina
Different school district
Different Board
Different calendar
Different phone and website
Three-second identity check: Augusta + 706 area code + rcboe.org = the Richmond County Board covered by this guide.
Common Richmond County Board of Education problems
❌ Search opened Richmond County NC
Fix: verify Augusta, GA and rcboe.org.
👤 District 3 still lists Walter Eubanks
Fix: RCSS announced his passing June 23, 2026. Verify the current District 3 representative.
📍 Board event says ZIP 30904
Fix: the Central Office footer says 30901. Confirm the live event before traveling.
📝 You are registering Pre-K online
Fix: RCSS says Pre-K uses a separate process and normal online K-12 registration is not used.
🔐 Parent Portal activation fails
Fix: confirm the student is already enrolled, then contact the school’s registrar if identity matching fails.
📧 You emailed an absence excuse
Fix: the current attendance page says emailed excuses are not accepted.
🚌 StopFinder invite never arrived
Fix: verify the guardian email in Infinite Campus and contact Transportation if it is correct.
🎓 You need a transcript immediately
Fix: RCSS currently says requests require 7–10 school business days and cannot be expedited.
📄 You sent a transcript request through Open Records
Fix: student records are specifically excluded from the ordinary Open Records process.
🚨 RCSS pages show two tip-line numbers
Fix: use the dedicated Safety Tip Line / Sprigeo route rather than guessing between conflicting district numbers.
🔁 You want a transfer because you dislike the school
Fix: that is not a qualifying extreme-hardship reason under RCSS’s published zone-exemption guidance; review HB251 instead.
🏠 You lack normal residency documents
Fix: use Families in Transition or the shared-housing residency workflow instead of abandoning registration.
Richmond County Board of Education FAQs
What is the official Richmond County Board of Education website in Georgia?
The Augusta, Georgia district is the Richmond County School System at rcboe.org. Use its Board of Education area for current Board members, meetings, agendas, livestreams and policy information.
What is the Richmond County School System phone number and address?
RCSS lists Central Office at 864 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. The main district phone number is 706-826-1000.
When does the Richmond County Board of Education meet?
Regular meetings are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Committee meetings are normally held on the second Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. Called meetings and schedule changes can occur, so verify the current Board calendar.
Who is the Richmond County Board of Education President?
As checked August 14, 2026, RCSS lists Shawnda Stovall as President and Edward D. Lowery as Vice-President.
Who represents Richmond County Board District 3?
The RCSS contact page still displays Walter H. Eubanks for District 3, but RCSS officially announced his passing on June 23, 2026. No replacement was verified in the official material checked for this update, so confirm the current District 3 representative directly with RCSS.
What documents are required to register a new Richmond County student?
Current RCSS requirements include guardian photo ID, Social Security Card, official birth certificate, proof of residency, appropriate health/immunization documentation, prior-school information when applicable and additional district forms. Residency generally requires a current utility bill plus a second accepted document.
How old must a child be for Richmond County Pre-K in 2026–27?
The child must be four years old on or before September 1, 2026. RCSS lists eligible birth dates from September 2, 2021 through September 1, 2022 and requires Georgia residency.
How do I register a student for a Richmond County school bus?
The primary parent or guardian completes the Existing Students Annual Updates & Bus Registration workflow inside Infinite Campus Parent Portal. RCSS asks families to complete the transportation section each year, including families whose student does not currently plan to ride.
What is the Richmond County Schools transportation phone number?
The Transportation Department lists 706-796-4777. The district also provides InfoFinder, StopFinder and Daily Bus Substitutions for route and tracking information.
How much does a Richmond County Schools transcript cost?
The current Student Records page lists transcripts at $15 and education verifications at $30. Processing generally requires 7–10 school business days, and RCSS currently says expedited service is unavailable.
Final Richmond County Schools verification checklist
Correct district?
Confirm Augusta, Georgia, the 706 area code and rcboe.org.
Current information?
Recheck Board roster, meeting event, school choice, calendar, bus route and record instructions.
Official portal?
Verify the district-linked destination before entering student IDs, Social Security information, medical records or payment details.
Verification scope: this update reviewed RCSS Board meeting and contact pages, the June 23, 2026 District 3 announcement, Academic Calendar and Back-to-School resources, Registration Central, Pre-K, Infinite Campus, HB251 and zone exemptions, Attendance, Transportation, Student Records, Open Records, Safety Tip Line, Addressing Your Concerns, Child Find, Special Education, Policy and Legal Compliance, disciplinary tribunal guidance, Student & Family Support Services and current district navigation as of August 14, 2026.
Independent-site notice: BoardofEducations.org is an informational guide and is not the Richmond County School System, Richmond County Board of Education or Georgia Department of Education. Current official RCSS notices, records, policies, assignments and forms take priority.