Editor's Note: Story has been modified to clarify all the Jefferson City Public Schools students affected by the bridge construction.
School at Jefferson City Public Schools will be in full swing again Thursday, but there's still plenty of preparation taking place beforehand.
Administrators and teachers have spent much of the summer getting ready for the school year, said district spokeswoman Amy Berendzen. Administrators worked through the summer recapping what went well and working on things that could use improvement. It's a lot of work to prepare for the roughly 9,000 students who are welcomed back, she said.
"I think with the new school year everyone is excited," she said. "We're welcoming back our existing and current students. We welcomed 106 new teachers, and the whole new school supplies, new teachers and adapting to new programs, new principals - there's a lot to celebrate."
Students who are new to the district can still register at the Board of Education office on East Dunklin Street. Guardians who need to register a new student should bring the child's birth certificate, identification, place of residence and immunization records. Berendzen recommends calling the Student Information Center ahead of time to ensure they have what they need to register.
School bus routes have not changed, but Westbound Missouri River bridge is still under construction, so students being bused over the bridge will continue to have early pick-up times. If there are afternoon delays due to bridge traffic, Berendzen said families will be notified their child may arrive home later than usual. A little over 15 percent of the district's students reside in Callaway County, but only those traveling over the bridge will be affected.
The district will continue to send text or phone call notifications to guardians with information pertinent to their student, she said.
Open house events take place before the first day of school as an opportunity for parents to meet teachers, building staff and to see their child's classrooms.
Southwest Early Childhood Center: 4-6 p.m. Aug. 16
Elementary school buildings: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 16
Middle school buildings, seventh and eighth grades: 5-7 p.m. Aug.16
Middle school buildings, sixth grade: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 17
Simonsen Ninth Grade Center, Jefferson City High School and Jefferson City Academic Center: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 16
District staff are attending a welcome back ceremony Monday, and community members are invited to join them for a community pep rally at 9:30 a.m. Attendees will form a tunnel from the Fleming Fieldhouse to Adkins Stadium to cheer and high-five the teachers as they walk through.
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