All public school students in Highland Country return to school next week with Hillsboro leading the way on Tuesday, Bright Local, Fairfield and Greenfield following on Wednesday and Lynchburg-Clay students on Thursday.
In Hillsboro, high school and middle school students will be allowed in the building at 7:15 a.m., classes start at 7:30 a.m. and students will be dismissed at 2:30 p.m. Elementary students can enter the building at 8:30 a.m., the tardy bell rings at 8:50 a.m. and students can be picked up at 3:25 p.m.
In Greenfield, the school day for high school and middle students starts at 7:40 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. The day for elementary students starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:40 p.m.
In Leesburg, the day for Fairfield students in grades 5-12 starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. For students in grades K-4 the day starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
In the Bright Local School District, middle school and high school students start the day in Mowrystown at 7:19 a.m. and end the day at 2 p.m. Bright Elementary students in Sugartree Ridge start the day at 8:45 a.m. and it ends at 3:15 p.m.
In Lynchburg, the day for high school students runs from 7:36 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for middle school students from 7:40 a.m. to 2:17 p.m., and for elementary students from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
New Hillsboro Superintendent Tim Davis said parents should be aware that the school district will no longer release students an hour early on Wednesday. In recent years, students were released an hour early on Wednesday so teacher meetings could be held.
“We restructured our teacher meetings and focused more of our time on instruction rather than taking time out for meetings,” Davis said.
He said the tennis courts, which were tore out recently and expanded from four courts to six, are paved and almost finished. He said the school is waiting on the lines to be painted on the courts and some fence and concrete work to be completed.
Since school ended last spring, Davis said a new courtyard has been added at the high school behind the band and choir rooms, and a parking lot across from the Barnhouse Center that’s behind the middle school gym has been paved. He also said irrigation lines have been laid at the practice soccer and football fields at the middle school/high school complex and that they should be ready for use after the Highland County Fair.
The new superintendent said the food truck the school implemented this summer served more than 16,000 meals in 42 days at seven stops throughout the school district. He said two new buses will be out on routes beginning Tuesday and that the K-3 literacy grade last year improved to an “A.”
Teachers reported back to school on Tuesday when Davis said the school hosted an “all-district day” for the staff.
“We started the school year with the band and cheerleaders providing a pep rally atmosphere for the staff,” Davis said. “We had a lot of fun and created a lot of spirit and enthusiasm for the school year.”
Greenfield Superintendent Joe Wills said each McClain High School student will have a Chromebook this year with the students required to pay a $25 yearly fee. He said more Chromebooks have been added in all the district’s other buildings and more will continue to be added.
“We’re looking forward to a good year,” Wills said.
Fairfield Superintendent Bill Garrett said the entrance to the elementary building has been moved to the new wing that was added to the school complex, and that students and parents will now need to enter at that location rather than where they have before.
“We’re trying to get a little more efficient, but other than that we’re just looking forward to another school year and to getting back at it,” Garrett said.
A Lynchburg-Clay spokesperson said things in the district remain pretty much the same as they were a year ago.
Bright Local Superintendent Ted Downing cited several new improvements to the school district in a story that appeared in Tuesday’s edition of The Times-Gazette. Among them, he said all students will have the option of a free breakfast at least until Christmas break, the district has increased the number of armed staff members from five to 10, the gym has received a new floor, the roof over most of the junior/senior high facility has been replaced, and drama and speech classes have been added for high school students along with a technology class for freshmen.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
