Time for teachers, time for books as school starts
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“So far, everything is proceeding well,” Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale said after the completion of yesterday’s countywide registration. “We’ve had no major problems and are expecting a good school year.”
Beginning this year, school is starting during the second week of August, instead of during the third week as it has for the past few years. The change was made by the school board in order to allow the first semester to be completed by Christmas break rather than mid-January. It’s a move some school board members said was wanted by the public, as well as a number of teachers and principals.
As a result of the early start, the 2003-2004 school year will also end earlier than years past. This school year ends May 24.
Despite opposition to the earlier start by teachers union officials, who said the public did not want any kind of early start, Hale said school officials have heard no complaints about it from parents.
School system enrollment, which has decreased by 152 over the past two years, appears to have decreased again, according to early figures cited by system Director of Instruction Bobby Cox. As of yesterday afternoon, county student enrollment stands at 6,094. This is 58 students below last year’s figures.
Cox noted, however, that yesterday’s totals are not the final totals, as students will continue to trickle in during the coming weeks.
“We project having in the neighborhood of 6,125 or 6,150 students,” he said.