TIFTON — Tift County Schools is already hard at work preparing for the first day of the upcoming school year.

Members of the school system’s Business and Operations Department came before the Board of Education during their workshop meeting last week to assure them that they were more than ready for the first day of school.

Representatives of the department reported that they were working to finalize the FY26 budget and ensure the proper amounts were allocated to each school and department, but asserted that the schools would have access to their start-of-year funds for supplies, staffing, and operations and had been informed of how to properly apply and track their budget.

In regards to facilities, staff would be checking HVAC units, toilets and urinals, and lighting systems early to check for issues and replace or repair them accordingly.

School floors were planned to be cleaned and waxed and furniture set up before the start of the school year, while the grounds and campuses of each school would be additionally cut and cleaned before orientation.

Four schools were in the process of being painted, with G.O. Bailey and Northside Elementary being painted over the summer and J.T. Reddick and Annie Belle Clark Elementary slated for later in the year.

The representatives reported that the painting at G.O. Bailey was on track to finish by the end of June, at which point they would focus their attention on Northside.

Additionally, school system’s support staff was working to take inventory of their current assets and get both new and current software operational, and would be distributing new Chromebooks for grades 9-12, a new intercom system and VOIP phones for Tift County High School, and would update school cameras, Wi-Fi, and maps as necessary.

They announced staff orientation would take place July 21-23, with 21 and 22 being dedicated to new teacher orientation and 23 being for other new employees.

Lastly, the first day of school would be set for August 1, with a lunch of cheeseburgers and fries already planned.