School news to use

Anchorage School District

• SCHOOL START, HOURS

Wednesday, with these exceptions:

Kindergarten classes start Sept. 6. Between Aug. 30 and then, kindergarten teachers meet individually with parents and students.

Central Middle School will open late, on Sept. 5, due to ongoing construction. Students will make up the three lost days later.

Most elementary schools are in session from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; middle schools 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; and high schools 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Charter schools and alternative schools set different hours.

• SPORTS FEES

High school sports fees increased from $75 to $175; middle school sports from $50 to $75. Once a family has paid for three sports at either level for one or more students, further activities are free. Students who can’t pay can obtain waivers.

• SPORTS TRANSPORTATION

Varsity athletes must arrange their own transportation to in-town games or events. The district will provide bus service to junior varsity and C team members.

• LUNCH PRICES

Elementary, $2.10; middle schools $2.50. Milk is 40 cents. At high schools, foods are priced separately. Free and reduced price lunches are available to low-income families. Income requirements vary depending on family size.

• PARKING FEES

High school student parking fees are back, at $50 per semester.

• BUS SCHEDULES

In past years, they’ve appeared in newspaper advertisements. To save money this year, the district mailed bus schedules directly to students’ homes, posted them at schools and put them on the district website: www.asd.k12.ak.us

• KINDERGARTEN

Most kindergarten classes are full-day programs, but half-day classes remain at Bear Valley, Bowman, Chugach Optional, Homestead, Huffman, Kincaid, Northern Lights ABC, O’Malley, Ocean View, Rabbit Creek, Ravenwood, Rogers Park and Sand Lake.

• AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Day-care programs are available at many elementary schools.

New after-school tutoring and recreational programs will be offered at Romig, Wendler, Central, Hanshew and Clark middle schools, and the following elementary schools: Muldoon, North Star, Ptarmigan, Russian Jack, Tyson, Williwaw, Wonder Park, Ursa Major and Minor (combined), Chester Valley, Creekside Park, Fairview and Tudor. The schools were chosen because they serve a large number of low-income families.

• WHOM TO CALL FOR HELP

Don’t know where to begin? The Anchorage School District main number for information is 742-2000. For elementary education, call 742-4254; middle schools, 742-4249, and high schools, 742-4256.

• SCHOOL START, HOURS

Sept. 6 except kindergarten classes, which start Sept. 11. From Sept. 6 - Sept. 8, kindergarten teachers meet individually with parents and students.

Elementary schools are in session from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., middle schools and high schools from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Charter schools set different hours.

• ENROLLMENT

School officials projected an enrollment of 12,635 students this year, but won’t have numbers until next week. Students finished registration Friday. The projected enrollment this year calls for a 224-student increase over last year’s 12,411 students. Two years ago, school officials were caught off guard when ,after several years of steady growth in enrollment, it suddenly declined. The peak was 12,777 in 1997. New cyber schools, an increase in homeschooling and an aging population were all cited for the decline.

• SPORTS FEES

High school sports fees are $100 per sport and middle schools sports $40 per sport. Students who can’t afford them may request waivers.

• SPORTS TRANSPORTATION

The district will provide bus service for all athletic events.

• LUNCH PRICES

Elementary, $2.25; middle and high schools $2.50. Milk is 50 cents. At high schools, food is priced separately. Free and reduced price lunches are available to low-income families. Income requirements vary depending on family size. Applications are available at any school. For more information, call 376-5381.

• BUS SCHEDULES

The district mailed schedules directly to students’ homes, posted them at some local stores and in the lobby of the Division of Motor Vehicles office in Palmer. For information, call 373-2287.

• KINDERGARTEN

Classes vary from half-, full- and extended-day programs.

• HELP

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District superintendent’s office number is 746-9255. The district’s website is: http://www.mat-su.k12.ak.us/SCHDIST.

• NEW THIS YEAR

Meadow Lakes Elementary opened this year and can be reached at 357-9840. Also new is Valley Pathways, an alternative school for grades 5-12 located near Palmer. Pathways also includes the district’s cyber school, which is called SeeuOnline.org.

A new middle school and elementary school are under construction off Seldon Road north of Wasilla. They are scheduled to open next fall.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

• SCHOOL START

Most schools started Wednesday.

• ENROLLMENT

Enrollment continues to decline on the Kenai Peninsula, which as of Friday stood at 9,748 children, short of its projected 10,111. But not all students had been counted, and officials expected to reach projected enrollment.

• SCHOOL LUNCHES

The district raised lunch prices for the first time in five years, by a nickel. Elementary lunches are $2.30. Secondary lunches cost $2.55. Adults pay $3.30.

• NEW LUNCH APPLICATION

A consolidated application lumps reduced-price lunches with other assistance programs. Peninsula parents can submit the same information for different programs, such as reduced athletics fees, with the one application. Call the district’s Nutritional Services Department (262-9367) for information.

• ASSISTANCE

The district’s main phone number is 262-5846. Such information as school web sites, holidays, etc., is on the district’s web page, www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us

©2000 Anchorage Daily News