by justin strawser
MANDATA - The first day of school for 1,250 students Monday went smoothly in the Line Mountain School District, Superintendent Dave Campbell reported.
"It was a good day. No issues to report. There's been no real changeover in faculty or administration, and that helps. It's less eventful when you have an experienced staff," he said Monday afternoon, noting no significant curriculum or policy changes.
While there has also been no construction under way at the start of the term, additions to both Trevorton Elementary School and Line Mountain Junior/Senior
High School could start by November if everything goes according to the district's current consolidation and construction plan.
"That won't impact the students. It's new additions. It's not remodeling existing rooms," Campbell said.
The school board voted last Thursday to close the elementary schools at Leck Kill and Dalmatia during the summer before the 2013-14 school year.
The $5.6 million plan would send all students in kindergarten through fourth grade to Trevorton Elementary School and fifth- and sixth-grade students would join seventh- and eighth-graders at the high school.
A four-classroom addition costing $1.9 million will be built at the northwest corner of Trevorton Elementary School, and a nine-classroom addition costing $3.7 million will be built at the southwest corner of the high school in the seventh- and eighth-grade wing.
Campbell said the bids for the project are expected to be awarded by the end of October, so construction for the two additions could be started in November.
For the elementary school in Trevorton, the noise of construction is expected to have a buffer since five classrooms are not being used for teaching. For the high school, there won't be a need to break through walls, but to connect it to the existing exit.
In the elementary schools, there are 201 students at Dalmatia, 417 at Trevorton and 62 at Leck Kill. There are 570 students in the high schools (grades seven through 12).
Kindergarten
Monday also marked the first day for Leck Kill Elementary school kindergarten students being sent to Trevorton Elementary School.
Campbell reported earlier this month that four students were enrolled in kindergarten at Leck Kill, and they were being moved to the Trevorton school.
There are now two kindergarten sections at Trevorton and two at Dalmatia, he said.
Campbell also noted that Monday was a transition day for kindergarten students rather than an instructional day.
"We tried something different with them, so they could get acquainted with everything," he said.
Elementary School Principal Jeanne Menko could not be reached for comment.
Staff changes
Campbell said the third grade teacher at Trevorton was the only change this year. Kristen Klock was hired to replace a teacher who resigned.