Schools will start Monday

Summer is unofficially over. With school opening on Monday, Aug. 17, children and older youths will begin their weekday migrations to area school campuses.

To ensure the safety of those migrations, the Anderson Police Department intends to beef up patrols near Anderson schools where heavy stop-and-go traffic creates delays, School Resource Officer Michelle Lingenfelter said.

Police will also monitor traffic safety and the wearing of helmets by youths on bicycles, she said.

Arguably the most significant change for high schoolers in the Anderson Union High School District (AUHSD) will be the new policy for athletes. In reaction to the economic hardship faced by the district, no longer will the schools provide bus transportation to and from sporting events at the following schools: Anderson Union, West Valley, Enterprise, Shasta, Foothill, and Central Valley High Schools.

West Valley Principal Karl Stemmler said the district hopes to save $100,000 each year with the reduced bus program. "When the budget issues improve, the district will revisit the policy and hopefully restore all program support," AUHSD Superintendent Tim Azevedo said.

In spite of the change, district students still will not be allowed to drive with students as passengers to school functions, including athletics, Stemmler added.

Anderson New Technology High School added an athletics program this year, with cross country beginning this fall and golf and tennis in the spring.

Also new to ANTHS this year is music teacher Valerie Ayabe, who would teach a new course, music appreciation. The school also is in the process of erecting a 40-by-48-foot building to house three new digital music labs.

"These are really high tech," ANTHS Principal Pat Allison said.

The labs are computers with a variety of music composition software, speakers and mixers to enable students to compose music for drama productions and to support video editing curriculum, Allison said.

Not shying away from technology themselves, students at West Valley have the opportunity this year to take what Stemmler called a pod-casting of an AUHS Advanced Placement (AP) course in American Government. AUHS teacher Josh Schwerdt would teach the class while video of himself and video of the West Valley students would enable two-way interaction.

Added to the class list at AUHS is a computer technology class to focus on imaging, or the creation of posters and brochures. Also added to the curriculum this year was culinary arts.

Rather than adding classes, the music program will still be offered through Cottonwood Union Elementary District, according to Superintendent Bob Lowden. He added that there were few concerns of his school district outside budget concerns.