Back to School: Marietta students continue toilet paper prank tradition

Toilet paper tradition continues in Marietta

Marietta students are kicking off their return to class with a big prank that continues a tradition of more than 60 years.

MARIETTA, Ga. - It may be Friday, but Marietta students are heading back to class for the first day of the 2025-2026 school year.

This year, students, teachers and staff will see changes aimed at keeping everyone safe on campus.

What we know:

For the new school year, the district has installed the Evolve Pass-Through Weapons Detection System in all schools covering grades 6 through 12.

Every morning, when students walk through the school doors, they'll pass through the system. If something unusual is detected, the students will have a second scan by a trained staff member.

The cost of the system is a little more than a half-million dollars for four years and includes equipment, training, and any updates. The money will come from funds allocated by the state for safety improvements.

We believe that we can get students through the doors as fast as possible. The last thing we want is to put a security measure in place and then have students that are late to class," said Superintendent Grant Rivera. 

The school board also approved the installation of a vape detection system in its middle and high schools. 

The devices look similar to smoke detectors but detect the chemicals that are present in vape products. If it goes off, it sends a silent notification to administrators so they can investigate what is going on.

The cost to install the devices is a little more than $40,000. The money comes from a State Board of Education grant and funds the district received from a class action settlement with e-cigarette maker Juul Labs.

The district also expanded a cell phone ban to Marietta High School. Students will not be able to use their cell phones or other electronic devices during instruction time.

Toilet paper tradition continues

Local perspective:

Marietta High School seniors woke up early to continue a prank that has become a beloved city tradition.

On the first day of the school year, the seniors go all out to cover the school with toilet paper, draping the trees and making a complete mess of the building and parking lot.

The tradition started more than 60 years ago. After making the mess, the students responsible for the prank come back to clean it all up later.