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On Tuesday, the Troup County School System hosted its annual Back to School Kickoff at the LaGrange High School gymnasium.

Nearly 2,000 teachers, faculty and students from Rosemont Elementary and Long Cane Middle to Callaway High and Thinc Academy, all schools in the district were represented.

The kickoff has been held for the last three years after taking a brief hiatus due to the pandemic. The event serves as part pep rally, part opening ceremony for the beginning of the school year which officially starts on Friday, Aug. 2.

The event was hosted at LaGrange High, which provided cheerleaders and a drumline for the high-energy celebration. Callaway’s chorus also performed the Jackson 5’s “ABC.”

The event aims to unify schools at the start of the year and share their school spirit.

City and community leaders gave words of encouragement to the staff of each of Troup County’s 17 schools. West Point Mayor Steve Tramell, Hogansville Mayor Mark Ayers, LaGrange Mayor Pro-tem Quay Boddie and School Board Chair Brandon Brooks spoke, along with new Superintendent Dr. Rachel Hazel.

The event also served as an introduction for Hazel, who shared a bit of her history growing up in Coweta, moving to Florida for college and her early career before ultimately returning home to West Georgia.