Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
It has been great settling into the Cheney, Airway Heights, and West Plains community and have enjoyed seeing summer weather arrive, albeit somewhat late. Whether your kids are swimming in the local pool, enjoying the many parks and trails in our area, or spending time with family, the start of school might seem far off in the distance. At the same time, many of you eagerly await official notice of our revised school schedules for the entire district.
As Mr. Roettger shared in May, Cheney Public Schools had become increasingly aware of the need for a staggered schedule in the years leading up to the pandemic due to increasing enrollment and a decreasing number of bus drivers. During the return in-person instruction, the district moved out of necessity to a staggered schedule. The realities that required the adjustment to a staggered schedule remain, and as our district grows will continue to challenge our community.
The staggered schedule was an adjustment for many families who have called this region home for years or decades, and the district has sought feedback from students, staff, and families seeking to best serve the needs of our students and community. As we learned from the community through consultative feedback processes, there were many problems with the secondary schools starting after the elementary schools. Some common concerns were child care for elementary students, student inability to access employment, and missed class time for athletics/extracurricular activities for secondary students due to their later release time. Data also showed that an earlier start and end time would reduce by approximately 50% the number of classes missed by students participating in sports and extracurriculars at Cheney High School (and both middle schools). In light of the information the school district gathered through the consultative process, it was recommended to the board that the schedules be altered. This recommendation was approved in May, and the schedules were finalized in June.
Our secondary schools will open earlier in the coming 2022-2023 school year, along with Salnave Elementary. Our other four elementary schools will begin one hour after the middle and high schools. HomeWorks! and Three Springs High School will operate on separate schedules from our traditional schools. The times for each school are listed below.
Cheney Middle School, Westwood Middle School, Cheney High School
7:50 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Salnave Elementary
7:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Betz Elementary, Snowdon Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Windsor Elementary
8:50 a.m. – 3:20 p.m.
HomeWorks!
8:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Three Springs High School
8:05 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
This new schedule will be an adjustment and we believe that this schedule will better accommodate the needs of our community, our teachers, and--most importantly--our students. I look forward to this coming school year and the opportunity to interact with many more of our students, supportive families, and dedicated staff.
Thank you,
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cheney Public Schools