What's New For Parkway This Year? A Lot.

Tuesday is the first day of school for the 2011- 2012 school year. The district has made a number of changes since May. Here is what's new.

NEW SCHOOL HOURS-

The Parkway School Board approved new start and end times for all schools this year. The board also voted to move back the start and end times of all middle schools by almost one hour. The district also added 20 minutes to the elementary school day, which means all schools now have equal instructional time of six hours and 55 minutes, approximately an additional 10 days of class each year.

(Check your school's start time here.)

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NEW SUPERINTENDENT-

In January, Parkway named Keith Marty as the district's new superintendent. Marty comes to Parkway from the Menomonee Falls School District in Milwaukee where he served as superintendent for the last 10 years and the assistant superintendent for the district before that.

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TUITION FREE FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN-

This year Parkway is offering tuition full day kindergarten to all kindergartners at no charge. Previously, the  offered full-day kindergarten for $3,520 and half-day kindergarten at no charge. More than 1,100 kids enrolled for full-day kindergarten this year, exceeding the districts expectations. More teachers have been hired and kindergarten classrooms have been rearranged to accommodate a new teaching style.

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NEW STAFF-

has a new principal and has a new athletic director.

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NEW PARKWAY LOGO-

The district unveiled its new logo last week and said it's the first brand change since 1988. The brand, which now reads Parkway Schools instead of Parkway School District, features a logo with a book and sunburst and the phrase, “Higher Expectations. Brighter Futures.”

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NEW ATHLETIC FIELD TURF-

Each of the four high schools now has new turf athletic fields.The district estimates it will increase field usage by more than 800 percent. The school board approved the work, which comes with a price tag of $2.86 million. The project's funds are coming from the 2008 bond issue, which allotted $3.2 million for athletic field upgrades.

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NEW SCHOOL ZONE-

It's taken a few year, but Parkway's finally got the school zone that it's been pushing for. The school's principal and some school parents had been pushing for the flashing, school-zone signs, saying the school is in a busy area, just south of Highway 40 on Mason Road.

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