Atlanta Public Schools wants its alums, community supporters, parents and students to “come home.”
The district will host a weekend of events – Oct. 20-21 – under the theme “APS Homecoming,” that will highlight its commitment to the revitalization of the city’s historic west side. Events include the annual State of the District (SOTD) event on Friday, Oct. 20, which will be followed immediately by an alumni and community tailgate, and the first high school football games to be played at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 21. All of these events will take place in Westside Atlanta.
“APS Homecoming is an invitation to the entire APS community to come home to APS and join what we call our district’s Journey of Transformation,” Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen said. “We want all of our stakeholders to play a role in influencing an exciting new future for our district’s students, families and school communities.”
This year’s SOTD event will be held at the natatorium in one of the district’s newest schools, Hollis Innovation Academy, located in historic Westside Atlanta (225 James P. Brawley Drive). The building is undergoing an extensive renovation in order to bring it in line with the school’s innovative STEM curriculum for elementary and middle school students. The alumni and community tailgate following the SOTD will feature food, music and representatives from various organizations offering resources and services for community members.
The next day (Saturday, Oct. 21), APS will gain the distinction of having five of its high schools – Grady, Maynard Jackson, Mays, South Atlanta and Washington – featured in the first high school football games to ever be played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday: Grady vs. Maynard Jackson (1 p.m.), South Atlanta vs. Washington (4 p.m.) and Mays vs. South Paulding (7 p.m.).
“The establishment of Hollis Innovation Academy, with its focus on STEM, in Westside Atlanta reinforces our district’s involvement in, and commitment to, the city’s redevelopment efforts on the west side,” Dr. Carstarphen said. “And furthermore, we are honored to have student athletes from five of our high schools participate in the first ever high school football games to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the crown jewel of the movement to redevelop the west side. We look forward to an outstanding weekend of activities we hope the community will find both entertaining and informative.”
Advance ticket prices are $15.00, or $22.00 at the door. Advance tickets for only $15 are available at the following locations: All Participating High Schools (Grady, Jackson, South Atlanta, Washington, Mays, and South Paulding), Lakewood Stadium, and the Center for Learning and Leadership. Get your tickets. Let’s support our students and fill up the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium!
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