september 9, 2025

What a great first week of school! The sense of pride and excitement as our students and staff reconnected was powerful. Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz, Superintendent Ryan Scallon and other district leaders visiting schools found them buzzing with energy. There were smiles on students' faces as everyone got down to the business at hand – teaching and learning. 

Great things are already happening aligned to our Strategic Plan and recent policy changes, including students in our elementary schools diving into our new social-emotional learning curriculum, students and faculty across our secondary schools building community in advisory or crew sessions, and students at all levels engaging in art and music classes. We also successfully launched the district's new device-free schools policy, with many staff reporting that they had already witnessed a dramatic improvement in students' focus and engagement within the first few days of school due to the lack of cell phones in classrooms. 

We saw a strong start to the new school year not only in classes, but also on buses, in lunchrooms, and throughout the district. Well before school doors opened on the first day, our bus drivers and other Transportation Team members were getting ready to safely transport our students to school. Our drivers, assistants, and managers begin their day before the sun comes up, ensuring that all students have a safe ride to school.