Countdown Is On To The New 2023-24 School Year In Council Rock

NEWTOWN, PA — The countdown to the new school year in the Council Rock School District has begun.

“And part of that is looking forward to getting students back into buildings and here at board meetings,” said Superintendent Dr. Andrew Sanko at the August 17 school board meeting.

“Each day this month brings increasing anticipation of the coming year,” said Sanko. “Parents are thinking ahead to earlier bedtimes for their children and students are in the process of picking out new sneakers and backpacks.

“But the real excitement is in our buildings and in our classrooms where the preparation of a new year has already begun. As of tomorrow, we are only 19 days away from opening day,” he said.

“There’s plenty of time left to relax, recharge and enjoy summer but rest assured our classrooms, buildings, teachers, staff, and administration will be ready for opening days,” said Sanko.

Students will head back to school on a staggered schedule with K to 6, 7 and 9 returning to the classroom on Tuesday, September 5 and all other students on Wednesday, September 6.

"These split opening days are designed to give our seventh- and ninth-grade students a full day of getting accustomed to their new school and their new schedule,” said Sanko.

A special Back to School newsletter has been mailed to parents containing valuable information about the first week of school, including breakfast and lunch menus, school contact information, school year and Back to School night calendars, links to the Home Access Center, and the bus zone app. A link to the newsletter can also be found on the district’s website under its Back to School Resource tab.

Bus Information

Sanko also noted that the administration recently met with Durham Transportation to confirm that they are ready to begin the new school year fully staffed with drivers and with buses ready to roll.

“Durham has 119 drivers and an additional 15 will join the team in the next few weeks. This year, Council Rock has 111 AM bus routes and 114 PM bus runs, all of which are covered by drivers,” said Sanko.

“Central office administrators will be joining the superintendent in participating in several dry runs of bus routes before we put students on our buses,” said Sanko.

A Durham Transportation Bus Zone app is available for download. Instructions about using the app can be found on the district’s opening webpage under the transportation tab.

As a service to the community during the first two weeks of school, Sanko said Council Rock will operate a transportation call center. The district will be providing support to answer questions that arise with the start of any school year.

The center will be operational from Tuesday, September 5 to Friday, September 15. Hours will be 6:30 to 9:30 am and 2;30 to 5 pm. The contact number for the call center is 215-944-1010.

Free Breakfast

In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Council Rock will again be offering free school breakfast to all students in grades K to 12 in the 2023-24 school year. Look for more information under the food services tab on the school district’s website.

Facility Improvements

Facility improvements continue at both the Richboro Elementary and Sol Feinstone Elementary schools, reports the superintendent.

“Richboro Elementary has been successfully relocated across the street to the former Richboro Middle School. Teachers and staff are in the building and setting up for the year ahead. Dr. Jordan and her crew will be ready to welcome students on September 5 to a comfortable, clean school,” said Sanko.

The students and staff at Richboro Elementary have temporarily relocated due to the renovation and expansion of their school on Upper Holland Road.

Meanwhile, the Sol Feinstone renovation project is also progressing with an anticipated completion date of August 2024, two to three months earlier than expected, said Sanko.

Board Hires New Supervisor

In preparation for the new school year ahead, the school board on August 17 unanimously hired a Lehigh Valley administrator as its new supervisor of curriculum instruction at a salary of $130,000.

Tamara Garey comes to the district after having served as principal at Saucon Valley High School in Hellertown for the past four years and before that as an assistant and then principal/secondary curriculum coordinator at Bangor Area High School.

Garey had previously served as director of technology and curriculum instruction with the Nazareth School District and as assistant principal at Freedom High School in Bethlehem.

Garey holds degrees from Kutztown University and Lehigh University and is currently working toward her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a $72,400 bid from Trane to replace a chiller at the Richboro Middle School.

• Approved a contract with Langhorne Physicians Services St. Mary Medical Center to provide a team doctor at no cost to the district.
• Awarded a $1.397 million bid to ASK Technologies to replace computers and tablets and a $903,000 bid from IntergraOne for networking equipment.