Alisha Clawson, who is a fourth and fifth grade teacher, left, joins other teachers in the library to gather student supplies while preparing for the school year at Buckingham Elementary in Bend on Tuesday afternoon. 

Buckingham Elementary is a school in motion, with school supplies stacked up in the library, ready for teachers to collect. The hallways are freshly clean. Classrooms are in various stages of disarray as they are put back together for the approaching school year.

Alisha Clawson, who is moving grade levels and classrooms for the new year, pulled student chairs from stacks and put her classroom library on the shelves. Like moving into a new house, her room will take shape over the next week.

So, custodial staff have cleaned schools, teachers are organizing classrooms and classes are ready to be back in session. When’s the first day of school for the six Central Oregon school districts?

Bend-La Pine Schools

Clawson, who will be teaching a fourth and fifth grade blended classroom this year, is excited to be back with staff and students.

“I’m moving grade levels, so learning a new curriculum is kind of exciting for me. It just makes a new perspective,” she said.

This is her 12th year teaching at Buckingham Elementary, and she previously taught third grade.

“It’s really about just making it an inviting, welcoming space for when the kids get here,” she said. “I spend so much of my day here. I want it to be a space where everyone feels welcome, but it’s comfortable. I’m setting the tone for the year.”

For Bend-La Pine Schools students, the first day for first through sixth graders and first-year high school students is Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The first day for seventh, eighth and 10th through 12th graders is Sept. 5. The first day for kindergarten is officially Sept. 6, but families should pay attention to communication from their elementary school in case the first day is earlier.

Elementary schools start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 2:15 p.m. Middle and high schools start at 8:45 a.m. and end at 3:45 p.m. Three Rivers School begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Times for Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School will be communicated by the school. Early release school improvement Wednesdays will not begin until Sept. 11.

Because of the failure of a school funding levy in the May election, class sizes will be slightly larger this year, school officials said.

Bus routes can be found at the district’s bus lookup tool on its website or the Bend-La Pine Schools My Bus Stop phone app. Both tools are available for parents and students.

Redmond School District

Redmond School District’s first day for second graders through sixth graders and first-year high school students is Tuesday. The first day for everyone except kindergartners and first graders is Wednesday, Sept. 4, and the first day for first graders is Sept. 5.

Kindergarten classes are split into thirds and one-third of students attend Sept. 9, 10 and 11 before all kindergarten students attend Sept. 12. Elementary schools will inform parents how the kindergarten split will work.

Crook County Schools and Jefferson County School District

For Crook County Schools, the first day for first through sixth graders and first-year high school students is Tuesday. The first day for seventh, eighth and 10th through 12th graders is Wednesday, Sept. 4. The first day for kindergartners is Sept. 9.

The Jefferson County School District also splits up the kindergarten start date over two days: Sept. 5 and 6. All kindergartners will be in class together Sept. 9. Otherwise, the first day of school for first through sixth graders, along with first-year high school students, is Wednesday, Sept. 4. The first day for all other grades excluding kindergarten is Sept. 5.

Sisters and Culver School Districts

In the Sisters School District, the first day of school is Tuesday for first through ninth graders, and Wednesday, Sept. 4, for grades 10 through 12. Kindergartners’ first day is Sept. 9 and pre-schoolers’ is Sept. 10.

The Culver School District has a similar schedule. The first day for first through ninth graders is Tuesday, and the first day for 10th through 12th graders is Wednesday, Sept. 4. The first day of school for kindergartners is Sept. 9.

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