The school year flew by and summer break is here! We have a lot to catch up on so keep reading. In this newsletter:

• Board News
• Graduation 2024
• Small Changes, Big Impact (2024-25 School Schedule)
• Summer Office Schedules
• Summer Lunch Program and CEP
• Open Enrollment
• Hurricane 5K Fundraiser for Cross Country
• ProgressBook Update and State Assessments
• Family Corner
  

You can catch up on our recent Board meeting in the May 20, 2024 Board Corner Report (doc). The full minutes from the meeting will be posted on the district website after they are approved the next regular meeting on June 24, 2024 at Central Office (341 S Nelson Ave) at 7:15 AM.

Welcome to our newest Board Member, Tim Wiederhold, who took the oath of office at last night's Board meeting! Tim will be completing the unexpired term (through Dec. 2025) of Brian Shidaker, who has taken another position elsewhere. Tim is a strong advocate for Wilmington City Schools and we are excited to have him join the Board. Tim's wife Elexis, is a preschool teacher for WCS and they have one son, Tate. We were encouraged by the number of strong candidates who applied that care deeply for our schools and the children we serve.

On Friday, May 23rd, WHS held their 151st commencement. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

• 162 Graduates in the Class of 2024
• 21 Graduated with Honor 3.50-3.69 GPA

• 23 Graduated with High Honor 3.70-3.89 GPA
  
• 10 Graduated with Highest Honor 3.9-4.00 GPA
• 23 Received Honors Diplomas
• 50 Graduated from Laurel Oaks
• 3 Graduates are entering the military

With the closing of East End, the district took the opportunity to reevaluate our school and transportation schedules. In reviewing both schedules, the district has made some minor adjustments in school start and end times in order to maximize instructional time during the school day.

Elementary
Beginning in 2024-25, staggered start times will be implemented for the school year at both Holmes Elementary and Denver Place Elementary. This change will have the following positive impact at both schools:

• Staggered drop off and pickup for parents who have students at both elementary schools
• More predictable bus schedules, increasing the likelihood of on-time arrival and dismissal
• Recapture lost instructional time by improving transportation route schedules
• Additionally, streamlining the food service process for breakfast will cause fewer disruptions to classroom time

Secondary

In order to accommodate these changes, the start and end times for both Wilmington Middle School and Wilmington High School have been altered as well. Please note below the slightly earlier start and end times for the WMS and WHS school day.

Below are the revised start/dismiss times for 2024-25:

• WMS and WHS: 7:40-2:30
• Holmes Elementary: 9:10-3:35
• Denver Elementary: 9:25-3:50

We are excited about the potential postive impact that can be made from making small changes to the school schedule and our transportation/foodservice processes.

"Community Eligibility is a provision that helps schools and districts in high poverty communities meet eligibility to serve no-cost lunches and breakfasts to all their students." education.ohio.gov. Based on our enrollment, the district has applied for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year.

If the district qualifies, then there will be no charge to any WCS student for breakfast and lunch for the 2024-25 school year.

We'll let you know the status of our application for CEP as soon as we have news.

• Holmes & Denver - 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM
• WMS/WHS - 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• Central Office will maintain their normal hours of 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Note:

• If you plan to visit an office, we recommend calling ahead to make sure we aren't working away from the front desk when you come in.
• All WCS buildings and offices will be closed on June 19th and July 4 (federal holidays).

We thought we would share a smorgesboard of resources for parents on May awareness topics. (Links and content from external sources are not under the control of the District.)

If you're looking for things to do this summer, check out what's available in Ohio. Check out 100 Things To Do in Ohio this Summer from ohio.org.