School Districts Gearing Up

Thu., Aug. 17, 1995

By Jonathan Martin jonathanm@spokesman.com

As the days in August dwindle away, area school districts are going through well-established routines to prepare for the first day of school.

Teachers hang miles of colored paper, janitors give the floors a final coat of wax and administrators prepare for the first-day deluge of parents registering their children.

To beat the rush, school districts are opening their doors to allow parents to register transfer students, kindergartners and first-graders before the first day of school.

Preregistration helps school administrators estimate class sizes and determine if extra teachers will be needed for the coming year. Those estimates are particularly important for the lower grades - kindergarten and first grade - because administrators usually have no idea how big classes will be.

State law requires parents to bring birth certificates and immunization records. Students registering for sixth grade must have a second booster shot for measles, mumps and rubella. Children registering for kindergarten must be 5 years old before Sept. 1.

Each district does things a little differently. Here is a breakdown by school district:

Spokane District 81 preregistration for elementary school students begins Aug. 23; secondary students can register beginning Aug. 28. Schools will be open 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through Sept. 1.

Classes begin September 5. For more information, call 353-4587.

Mead School District is asking parents to preregister between Aug. 21 and Aug. 25, but schools will be open until Sept. 1 if parents can’t make it earlier. Buildings will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Classes begin Sept. 5. For more information, call 468-3000.

Nine Mile Falls School District buildings will be open weekdays from Aug. 22 through the Sept. 5 (except Labor Day) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Classes begin Sept. 6. For more information, call 466-5512.

Riverside School District preregistration for high school and middle school began Wednesday. Riverside Elementary and Cattaroy Elementary Schools will be open August 23.

Buildings will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 29.

Classes begin Aug. 30. For information call 292-0201.

Deer Park School District preregistration for transfer students, kindergartners and first graders will be Aug. 23.

At Deer Park High School, seniors can register Aug. 21, juniors Aug. 22, sophomores Aug. 23 and freshmen Aug. 24.

Classes begin Aug. 29. For more information, call 276-5051.

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