The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FOOD AND FRIENDS
District kicks off school year on a positive note with building projects in progress
Elyria City Schools kicked off its school year Aug. 28 with students, staff and parents ready for new challenges.
“Everybody is very happy to be back,” said Amy Higgins, director of the communications and marketing department for Elyria Schools, when talking about the first day. “I know the parents are ready, and the students and staff are settling in.”
Higgins said the year is a late start compared to other districts, but that has become the norm for Elyria.
“It has been that way for the last several years for us, and that is primarily due to the older schools we have,” she said. “I know a lot of our staff have appreciated it in the past with the lack of air conditioning.
“This year will be the last year for some buildings in the district.”
— Amy Higgins, director of communications and marketing for Elyria Schools
“We had a bit of a party earlier with bubble machines, streamers, sidewalk chalk and some dancing by the faculty. We want them to look forward to coming to school and learning, and today was a good first step.” — Jessica Barwacz, principal at Prospect Elementary
“It’s also usually after or around Labor Day for the simple reason of extending the summer time for families. A lot of families like to schedule vacations in August and there is also the (Lorain County Fair), so it has just always worked best for us to have the later start.”
Higgins said the district sent out an automated call to parents to welcome them back for the school year.
“The goal was to make the opening as smooth as possible,” she said. “There are always a few bumps along the way for things like bus schedules, pickup times, and things like that.
“We also like to get the message out for folks to watch out for kids as they are coming and going to school when they walk or use their bicycles. We had a few bus delays with construction going on, but that’s typical with the first couple of weeks.”
Higgins said the district encourages parents to sign up on the First Student App.
“The app allows parents to track buses,” she said. “It lets them know when a bus will arrive and if it’s going to be delayed, so it’s definitely a tool we think parents should use.”
Construction projects
The district is looking forward to the completion of construction projects, Higgins said.
“This year will be the last year for some buildings in the district,” she said. “We will have the new Ely Elementary, Hamilton Elementary and Northwood Campus completed by next August, so this will be the last year in the current Franklin Elementary, Northwood Middle, Windsor Elementary and Ely Elementary.
“It will be a big year for those schools as we prepare for the transition. We will then complete the projects with Eastern Heights Campus and Westwood Campus coming in 2021.”
Higgins said the district wanted to improve efficiency when it was looking at the new “campus” style for the future buildings.
“The campus buildings will be K-8,” she said. “We will have those buildings and two elementary schools for the kids who live in those neighborhoods.
“The main reasons for the campus schools is that they are cost saving and efficient. We are able to serve students in one place, so we save cost.
“It’s also easy for families. Parents appreciate having their younger and older children in one place, at the same site. The general idea of having the three campuses with two elementary schools, and the high school, is just how it worked out when looking at how to make things as efficient as possible.”
Smooth opening day
Higgins said the first day was overall a smooth one.
“We got all the students in their proper classrooms and ready to learn,” she said. “I would say it was a great first day, and we are ready for a great year.”
Jessica Barwacz, principal at Prospect Elementary, said this school year, like every other year, has two prongs of focus.
“We want to make sure our students are safe and that they are learning,” Barwacz said. “We have the staff go over safety protocols to make sure the students are in a safe environment.
“We then want to increase learning with some different incentive programs for students. We also want to create a place where students have fun and want to come to school.
“We had a bit of a party earlier with bubble machines, streamers, sidewalk chalk and some dancing by the faculty. We want them to look forward to coming to school and learning, and today was a good first step.”