Apokoronas mayor sets out school-year pledges for families, teachers and children

Summary

As schools in Apokoronas prepare to ring their first bell of the 2026–27 school year on September 11, Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis has published a message outlining the municipality's concrete commitments to students, parents and teachers. The municipality is upgrading school infrastructure, has introduced a financial allowance for newborns, and is actively working to find housing for teachers who relocate to the area. Koukianakis frames these steps as the only real answer to the demographic decline threatening rural communities like Apokoronas.

Apokoronas rings in the new school year with action, not just words

On September 11, 2026, the first school bell of the new academic year will ring across Apokoronas. To mark the occasion, Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis has released a message that goes beyond the usual seasonal well-wishing — he lays out what the municipality is doing, and intends to keep doing, to support children and families in the area.

Three concrete commitments from the municipality

Koukianakis points to three active areas of work:

School infrastructure: The municipality is upgrading and improving school buildings and facilities across Apokoronas.
Newborn allowance: A new financial benefit has been introduced for families with newborns, aimed at keeping young parents in the region.
Teacher housing: The municipality is working to find practical housing solutions for teachers — many of whom come from outside the area and struggle to find somewhere to live locally.

The bigger picture: fighting demographic decline

These measures are a direct response to a challenge facing many rural Greek communities: fewer children being born, young families leaving, and school rolls gradually shrinking. Koukianakis is unambiguous about his approach. "The demographic problem cannot be solved with words, only with actions," he writes.

His stated vision is a thriving Apokoronas with full classrooms — a place where young people have real opportunities to build their lives, start families and raise children with security.

A personal message to the community

Alongside the policy commitments, the mayor addresses each group personally: he wishes students the courage to chase their dreams without fear of difficulty, parents the strength and patience the role demands, and teachers the health and stamina needed for their demanding and vital work.

Official source

PRESS RELEASE – Message from the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis, on the start of the new school year

September 10, 2026, 2:25 PM

Tomorrow the first bell will ring again, filling our schoolyards with children's voices, smiles and optimism. Our children are the future of Apokoronas, and for that future we have no right to make any concessions.

The Municipality of Apokoronas stands and will continue to stand actively at the side of our students, parents and teachers. Our support is demonstrated every day through actions: we are upgrading school infrastructure, we have established the newborn benefit for the substantive strengthening of the family, and we are seeking decisive solutions to the major issue of housing for our teachers. We firmly believe that the demographic problem is not addressed with words but with actions.

Our vision is a vibrant Apokoronas, with schools full of children. A place where young people will have the conditions to live, to create, and to raise their families in safety.

I wish from the heart that our students will chase their dreams without fearing difficulties, that parents will have strength and patience, and that our teachers will have health and endurance in their important ministerial work. Our own duty is to be their unwavering supporters, because a place that loves and cares for its children is a place that has a future.

Have a good and creative school year, everyone!

The Mayor of Apokoronas Charalampos Koukianakis