VALLEY – The Chambers County School District will start another school year with 26 new certified employees, including teachers, coaches and specialists.

They all attended a mandatory orientation session Wednesday at the Cotton Duck in Valley.

“All of our schools will have at least one new face,” Superintendent Dr. Kelli Hodge said. “We have a mixture of veteran teachers and first-time hires, and some of them are natives of Chambers County.”

During Wednesday’s seven-hour orientation, the group received information about all aspects of the school district, including child nutrition, maintenance, technology, public relations, special education, federal programs, transportation and safety.

“The goal is to get everyone started off on the same page,” Hodge said in a news release. “In addition to providing them insight on the total scope of our district, it’s my job as superintendent to explain what we expect of them in terms of conduct, professionalism, and punctuality. We have to hold our employees to a higher set of standards because of their responsibility with children.”

Valley High School will have the largest number of new certified staff, followed by W. F. Burns Middle School. There are still a few slots yet to be filled, but Dr. Hodge expressed confidence that all positions will be covered before the start of school on Aug. 8.

“We’re always excited about the beginning of a new school year,” Hodge said.