Delaware Hayes High School cheerleaders perform for staff and teachers assembled at Cornell Stadium Tuesday morning for Delaware City Schools’ convocation ceremony.
Jennifer Ruhe | Delaware City Schools
The 2024-2025 school year begins this week for students across Delaware County.
Students in Delaware City Schools, Buckeye Valley Local Schools and the Delaware Area Career Center have their first day of school today. Olentangy Local Schools students return to school on Thursday, and all students in the Big Walnut Local School District will report to school on Friday.
Delaware held its Convocation Ceremony Tuesday, and Ohio Wesleyan University President Matt vandenBerg spoke to teachers and staff about the challenges of education and the power of community partnerships to help students succeed.
Delaware City Schools Superintendent Heidi Kegley said the district team has worked “so hard to ensure our buildings, classrooms, and buses are ready to begin the school year.”
“In addition, our staff spent many hours engaged in professional learning around various curriculum topics and the leadership team focused on an increased effort to improve school attendance for all students because we know attendance is directly related to academic success,” Kegley said Tuesday.
Kegley said the district is “thrilled” to welcome students, families and staff back to school this week.
“There has been incredible energy throughout our district as our schools hosted open houses,” she said Tuesday. “It truly is a great feeling to see how excited our students and staff are to see each other and reconnect as they prepare for the start of school. We look forward to partnering with our families to ensure everyone has a great start to the school year.”
There will be a few new faces at Delaware City Schools this year with the hiring of Julie Stewart as the principal of Carlisle Elementary and Jake Shafer as the assistant principal at Hayes High School. Stewart joins the district after 29 years at Lima City Schools, and Shafer returns to Hayes after departing in 2023 to serve as the assistant principal at Olentangy Liberty High School.
Both administrators said over the summer that they were looking forward to meeting students and being part of the community at their respective schools.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
