Rangely schools will start Aug. 31

RANGELY I Parents and students can mark their calendars, the first day of school will be Aug. 31.
“The date of occupancy has now been set,” said new Rangely School Superintendent Barry Williams.
The Rangely School Board adopted the calendar for 2009-2010 school year at a meeting Monday, which included a reception for the new superintendent, who recently moved here from Virginia.
“I thought everything went very well,” Williams said of his first meeting. “I’m settling in. It just takes awhile when you’re trying to settle in at home, and you’re trying to settle in here. As far as things on my plate, I’m just learning a lot. But what’s on the forefront is our students. That’s what it’s about.”
Williams’ wife, Alice, has accepted an assistant principal’s job at Bookcliff Middle School in Grand Junction, so she will be commuting.
Other notable dates on the school calendar adopted by board members include May 23, which is graduation, and May 28, which will be the last day of school.
The original date for classes to start was Aug. 20, but because of this summer’s $15 million renovation projects at the middle school and high school the target date was moved to Aug. 24. However, school board members wanted to allow extra time to make sure work was completed before the start of school.
“Nothing has changed from (the construction contractor) turning the buildings over to us for occupancy on the 24th (of August), but the board just wanted to make sure if something unforseen came up, to err on the side of giving them plenty of room,” said Steve Kraft, the district’s chief financial officer.
In another move, the school board decided to continue in-town and noon bus routes. Initially, the board had planned to discontinue the routes as a cost-saving measure.
“They actually voted and reversed themselves after they reviewed the numbers on that,” said CFO Kraft. “So they will provide in-town busing next year, including kindergarten and preschool routes in the middle of the day. It would have saved about $8,000 out of the budget, so for that little savings the board decided it was worth it (to continue in-town bus routes).”