Classes begin in Oconee County schools
Classes begin for top-ranked Oconee County schools By Lee Shearer Classes began Wednesday for about 7,200 lucky students who attend Oconee County public schools — by some measures, the best in the state. New principal Michael Eddy and Superintendent Jason Branch greeted about 500 students and their parents early Wednesday at High Shoals Elementary — most of them smiling and excited to be back at school, though a few of the youngest shed tears as moms and dads left them in the care of their teachers. • View additional photos from the first day of school at High Shoals Elementary in our slideshow. Similar scenes played out at the county’s other schools in a county where expectations have become high. Oconee schools achieved the best scores in the state on the Georgia Department of Education’s College and Career Ready Preparation Index, a sort of report card used by the state Department of Education to grade schools, combining graduation rates, test scores, att...