It has been a busy summer here in Bethel. I have been preparing for the new school year, and also enjoying time with my family. I sincerely hope you have been able to spend time with your loved ones as well this summer.

Now that August is underway we are finishing up many of our summer maintenance projects so our buildings will be ready for students on the first day of school.

All of our bond projects are still on schedule, and we’ll see our first new elementary school open its doors in two short years, in time for the 2021/22 school year. We are predicting that school, and all of our new schools will open up full of kids, as demographers are predicting our community will add 400 housing units every year from now until 2038.

As our staff begins gearing up for the new school year, there are some big changes taking place you should know about. One thing is the implementation of a new social-emotional learning curriculum that will help our teachers and staff better support students (page 15).

Also starting this fall, the district will begin covering the cost of all Advanced Placement tests for all students (page 18). That will be a game changer when it comes to equity for students wanting to challenge themselves academically during their high school years.

I hope you are having a wonderful summer, and am looking forward to the beginning of a new school year in just a few short weeks.

Yours,

Tom Seigel
Superintendent