School renovations, COVID updates: 6 things York SD1 parents should know for 2021-22

York School District 1 has had a busy summer in preparation for the 2021-22 school year.

Here are six things York families should know before the first day of school.

1. 2021-22 academic calendar

The district’s first day of school will be Aug. 16, just like neighboring districts Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Clover. Students will be out for winter break starting with a half-day Dec. 21 and returning Jan. 4. Spring break is April 11-15, and York Comprehensive High School graduation is planned for May 27.

For a printable version of the district’s 2021-22 academic calendar, visit the district’s website.

2. Fiscal year 2021-22 budget

The 2021-22 budget was approved by the York School District 1 Board of Trustees in June. Its total expenditures added up to $51,193,953 — which is up from $50,014,116 in fiscal year 2020-21 (2.4% increase).

Some of the reasons for the 2021-22 expenditure increase: $1,000 increase to the district’s teacher salary schedule, a 1% retirement increase and a continuation of reimbursement for accrued sick leave over 90 days.

For a comprehensive look at the budget (and more highlights), read the YSD1 budget presentation to the board, which is published on the district’s website.

3. York summer renovations, updates

YSD1 completed several projects across a variety of its schools this summer. Among them:

• Electronic badge access on exterior doors at all schools.
  
  
• Turf and track replacement at York Comprehensive High School.
  
  
• Multiple technology upgrades throughout the district, including the internet connectivity speeds between several schools; intercom upgrades at Harold C Johnson Elementary and York Intermediate; and new milk coolers at Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary and Hunter Street Elementary (which was paid for by federal funds).

The district also provided over 28,000 meals to its students as part of its summer feeding program, which began June 16.

4. COVID updates and protocols

In a special called meeting on July 27, the York School District 1 board approved the district’s “In-Person Operational Plan,” which delineates how it will enforce certain COVID restrictions for the 2021-22 school year.

Some notable details of the plan include:

• Masks are strongly encouraged but not required in schools.
  
  
• Desk shields will be removed but will remain available for those who desire to use them.
  
  
• Parents and visitors will be welcomed back to schools.
  
  
• Field trips are back on.

It’s worth noting that the district will continue to update its COVID-19 dashboard to communicate school- and district-level COVID-19 cases.

The approved plan, in full, can be found at the York website.

5. Notable staffing announcements

The district made a few staffing announcements in the summer months.

Cassidy Valerino began her tenure as principal of York Middle School last month. She replaced Richard Ball, who’ll now serve as YSD1’s Virtual Program Coordinator. Kellie Mondo and Sean Cunningham were named as assistant principals at York Middle in July, too.

April Aulmer was named the district’s Instructional Facilitator, a new role to the district meant to “assist with the development and design of a defined program of study” to ensure teachers of all grade levels work together in creating curricula.

6. Population growth on York’s horizon

According to district enrollment projections presented to the York board in February, the district will grow from 5,308 students in 2020-21 to 6,343 students by 2029-30. This expected growth is an exciting prospect for the district, but it also raises the possibility of school expansions (or other impactful, district-wide decisions) in the not-too-distant future.

See the presentation in the board’s meeting minutes on the district’s website.

York school district spokesperson Tim Cooper told The Herald via email that the district is “continuing to look at possible options to consider” in regards to the area’s projected growth “as more permits are approved and ground is broken on additional housing.”

Alex Zietlow

The Herald

Alex Zietlow writes about sports and the ways in which they intersect with life in York, Chester and Lancaster counties for The Herald, where he has been an editor and reporter since August 2019. Zietlow has won nine S.C. Press Association awards in his career, including First Place finishes in Feature Writing, Sports Enterprise Writing and Education Beat Reporting. He also received two Top-10 awards in the 2021 APSE writing contest and was nominated for the 2022 U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Rising Star award for his coverage of the Winthrop men’s basketball team.