The upcoming school year is less than one month away. District leadership said operations will remain largely the same, though there will be no more early release days for elementary schools and bus routes may change slightly.
The Juneau School Board decided in May to end early release Mondays. That means elementary students will no longer end the school day half an hour early at the beginning of the week.
New Juneau School District Superintendent Shawn Arnold said the district is also working with school bus company First Student to finalize its bus routes.
“We have students sometimes like they’re traveling on the bus all the way from North Douglas out to the Valley or down the road to downtown,” he said. “And so the bus company First Student there is working to kind of look at the efficiencies and make the routes better than they have been before.”
Otherwise, Arnold said the district hopes to keep routes close to what they were last year. A finalized bus schedule is expected to go out to families by Aug. 7.
Students at Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School are getting more transportation options this year. The school board approved $9,000 to go toward public bus passes for students. Arnold said the school’s staff are preparing ahead of the school year to support students with that.
For families with new students, Arnold said support staff will be available at all schools on Aug. 10 to help them get registered.
And registration for all students at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé is happening Aug. 11 to 13. Students attend at a certain time depending on last names. Freshman orientation is scheduled for Aug. 19.
The high school is not in the evacuation zone for the annual glacial outburst flood, but it might still impact the district’s schedule. Arnold said if the flood happens during registration, school staff who live in the Mendenhall Valley might be affected.
“We have a large amount of staff who live out here in the Valley, and if they’re experiencing any kind of changes in their schedule, impact to their personal life and stuff because of the event, we’re going to have to look at possible postponement,” Arnold said.
Last year, the district delayed the start to the school year by a day because of the flood.
Many things are staying the same going into the upcoming school year. School day start and end times are the same, as well as school meal prices. Universal free breakfast, which has faced funding uncertainties, will remain available.
The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 20. The first day of kindergarten is Aug. 25, and preschool will begin on Aug. 27. Arnold said families should ensure their contact information is up to date on Power School to receive updates from the district.
This story’s headline was updated.
