September 1, 2022
Dear Parents and Patrons,
School is back in session for another year. This year will be exciting, for many reasons, and I ask for your support and patience on a number of fronts as things get underway.
We are embarking on a new endeavor with the implementation of a 4-day school week. School days for students will be approximately 60 minutes longer per day than they were last year, and we know the longer days will require time for adjustment. Hang in there while we all work to make the necessary adjustments.
School starts earlier and will stay in session longer, and we realize the new times will infringe on traditional morning and afternoon routines, including bus schedules. We will continue to evaluate the efficiency of our bus schedules and we will continue to refine routes and times as necessary. Routes and schedules are posted to our website and are subject to change based on need. For example, some route times have already been updated since the first day of school, and we are currently working to condense three routes into two. Again, thank you for your patience.
The school year provides for increased activity in our school zones and on our roads. Please be aware of pedestrians on our sidewalks and streets, especially be aware of our youngest and most impulsive students as they walk to and from our schools. Please yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and remain keenly aware of the presence of school buses and be sure to stop for all buses that have their stop signs extended.
Fall enrollment is strong this year in the WSD. As of today our posted enrollment is 86 students higher than projected based on enrollment numbers from May. That includes 110 kindergarten students and 571 students enrolled at WHS. That said, we have a few large classes, particularly at WHS.
We are pleased to begin this year having expanded course offerings at Weiser Middle School and at Weiser High School, including expanding elective courses at each school. We hope to continue to expand programs in an effort to help meet the needs and learning desires of our students.
We have a great crop of new teachers and classified staff. Please take the initiative to reach out to our new members and get to know them. Each has brought their own unique talents and skills to add to an already strong core staff.
Although we are thrilled with our new hires, we still have a few areas that we are looking to grow. Please be patient with our special services department as we are not yet fully staffed, but we are looking to add a couple of teachers. Additionally, we still have a few openings for paraprofessionals and we are actively seeking bus drivers and substitute teachers. We are also looking for a paraprofessional to work with students at Indianhead Academy, our alternative high school. If you love kids, have a desire to serve your community, and have an interest in working for the WSD, I would encourage you to complete an application or inquire about any openings at the school district office (925 Pioneer Road, 208-414-0616, or www.weiserschools.org). Employee wages continue to increase, we have desirable work hours, and we offer a nice benefit plan for full-time employees.
The last two years school nutrition waivers have allowed us to offer free meals to all students. Those waivers expired this summer and we are forced to move back to National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations. It is critical that all of our families complete a Free and Reduced Lunch form and submit it their child’s school as many students will still qualify for free or reduced lunch status. If you need an application or if you need help completing an application, please contact our food services office at 208-414-0723.
The State is also making available to families the Empowering Parents Grant this fall. Similar to the Strong Families Strong Students Program, the grant will provide qualifying families up to $1000 per student or up to $3000 per family to purchase educational related resources. The grant will be available in mid-September. You can find more information, as well as the grant application, on the State Board of Education Portal at www.boardofed.idaho.gov/. Homecoming is scheduled for the week of September 19 th . This year’s parade is planned for Thursday, September 22nd.
Although students will not have school on Fridays under our new schedule, District staff will be involved in professional development and instructional planning on select Fridays throughout the year. Our first Friday workday will be held on September 9th.
The WSD Board of Trustees will continue their work on strategic planning for the District this fall. We plan to launch a community survey in order to obtain patron feedback in the coming weeks. Additionally, our Continuous Improvement Plan is posted to our website. We welcome your feedback.
With a heavy heart, I want to recognize Mr. Brian Sharp for his contributions to the WSD and to our community. Brian worked for the WSD for 23 years and he was the longest serving member of the transportation department. For two decades he was the man behind the scenes making sure all of our athletic fields were marked for activities, and he was a mainstay as a driver for many teams and other groups attending out of town activities. Mr. Sharp passed away last week. We miss him dearly.
Respectfully,
Wade Wilson, Superintendent
