Dalton Public Schools Calendar 2026–2027

Dalton Public Schools uses a secondary ladder that cannot be reduced to the usual 6–8 middle and 9–12 high pattern. Its 7,267 K–12 students attend one of six K–5 elementary schools, move to Hammond Creek Middle for grades six and seven, and then attend Dalton Junior High for grade eight. Ninth grade begins one of two full high-school routes: Dalton High or The Dalton Academy.

The Dalton Academy is a full secondary school model with career pathways embedded in its daily program. It is a grades 9–12 high school with its own student body and a curriculum built around defined career pathways alongside academic, AP and dual-enrollment opportunities. Dalton High remains the other comprehensive high-school route. The Cyber Academy introduces a virtual option, but it should not be folded into the physical feeder sequence as another neighborhood campus.

The municipal boundary matters as much as the unusual grade breaks. Dalton Public Schools serves the city system, while Whitfield County Schools serves surrounding areas that may also use a Dalton mailing address. A correct reading requires two decisions: whether the residence belongs to the city district, and which of the two high-school pathways applies after the districtwide grade-eight year.