Concord Elementary School third-grade student Sophia Pechenyuk tests out the swings during recess on the first day of school Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Submitted photo | Troy City Schools
TROY — The Troy City Schools successfully opened the 2023-24 school year Wednesday, Aug. 23.
“We are incredibly pleased with how things went,” Troy City Schools Superintendent Chris Piper said in a press release. “We are always happy to see our students return to our schools. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing kids in this community. There’s an entirely different vibe in our buildings when students arrive. You can feel the energy.”
Piper credited the hard work of the staff members with creating a welcoming environment for students.
“In a district this size, there are obviously a lot of moving parts, but we were able to get all of those parts moving in the same direction to provide the best possible first day for our students,” Piper said. “It’s a credit to all of our staff members that things went as smoothly as they did. I can’t thank each and every one of them enough for their continued dedication to this district.”
Wednesday was the first day for students in grades K-9. At Troy High School, it was “Freshman Focus Day,” which allowed freshmen to see the school, meet their teachers, attend an activities fair, have a Q&A with senior leaders and attend their first high school pep rally.
Students in grades 10-12 will start school Thursday.
“Freshman Focus Day is a great thing for our ninth graders,” Piper said. “It’s given freshmen a lot of confidence heading into the school year. I also know everyone will be happy to have all of the students at the high school Thursday. It will be good to get the entire Trojan Family together.”
The Troy City Schools will dismiss two hours early Thursday and Friday due to the high temperatures and heat indexes.
“Obviously if there was one bump in the road Wednesday, it was the heat,” Piper said. “But our students and staff really did a nice job working through that and staying focused. We made sure we were monitoring everyone’s health and gave students plenty of water breaks to stay hydrated.
“It’s going to be even hotter Thursday and Friday, which is why we’ve made the decision to dismiss two hours early both days. We want to keep our students and staff safe. We have nine buildings in this district and only one had air conditioning, so dismissing early both days makes sense.”
