It’s only five fewer days but those five fewer days of summer have local school staffs scrambling to get ready for the rush of students returning to school on Wednesday.

However, school officials say they are looking forward to another school year.

“Everyone is feeling the reduction of this one-week shorter summer,” said Bart O’Brien, Placer Union High School District superintendent.

O’Brien explained that last year the high school district’s schedule synched up with the elementary school district. That meant students and staff had a week vacation during Thanksgiving. That extra week extended the school year by a week in June, he said.

O’Brien said maintenance and custodial staff are working harder to complete tasks such as carpet cleaning and painting before the first day of school.

Teachers have also started to make their way onto campus to set up and to work on new strategies to improve students’ reading abilities. O’Brien said teachers are also undergoing some technology training.

“We’re getting ready for all of sudden when the bell rings next Wednesday morning when 4,500 students show up at our schools,” O’Brien said. “We’re getting the books ready, the teachers ready and the technology to support learning in the 21st century.”

O’Brien added that the district completed hiring staff for the year with the exception of one school nurse.

At Auburn Union School District, staff is busy gearing up for the new year as well, according to Superintendent Michele Schuetz. Cleaning and repairs were completed over the summer, as were last minute hires.

Teachers will begin their day Monday with staff development and welcome students on Wednesday.

Schuetz added that the school is ready for the transition of students to Sky Ridge School in the wake of Alta Vista’s closure.

“I think it’s going well,” Schuetz said. “The teachers have moved into their new classrooms and we’ll see on Wednesday how many students we have.”

Historically, summer breaks were cut short about a decade ago, O’Brien said. School days were then extended from 175 mandatory days to 180 mandatory days.

There are other reasons for a shorter summer, O’Brien said.

Many students and teachers are involved in athletics, which start in mid-August. Also, he said starting earlier in August means students can leave earlier in June. He said that is beneficial because students typically start to lose focus toward the end of the year. They also can get a jump start on a summer job.

“All of those factors have combined to bring us back earlier in the summer,” O’Brien said. “Some of us who’ve been around a long time, we miss the start after Labor Day. But the reasons (to start earlier) are so compelling, we can understand why.”

Placer High School student Donovan Buttram said the shorter summer hasn’t bothered him.

“I’ve actually been anticipating this year,” Buttram said.

Less than a week before the first day of his senior year, Buttram was waiting outside senior counselor Neil Polaske’s office. Buttram wanted to change his schedule so he could have time to work on his senior project during the fall semester. He plans to restore a 1970 Ford Ranchero.

While Donovan was able to rearrange his schedule, Polaske said it’s been a challenge to do that for other students. This is the first year the high school will use a four-by-four schedule, which means students take four classes each semester. The schedule is set up to imitate a college schedule.

“It’s a little bit harder and class sizes are a little larger but it’s our first year doing this so we’ll figure it out as we go along,” Polsake said.

O’Brien said another significant change the school has made regarding student safety this year is a new telephone system. The system allows the school to contact multiple parents within a matter of minutes to inform them of conditions at the school.

Last year, the high school was placed on lockdown within the first few weeks of school when a student was reported on campus with a gun.

O’Brien said the new system would help alert parents faster when a situation warrants its use.

“We did not have that in place last year,” O’Brien said of the phone system. “We’ve purchased that program and it is in place this year.”

Another one of those changes is a new principal at Placer High School. Peter Efstathiu has about seven years of experience as an administrator, but this year will be his first principalship.

“I’m spending a lot of time getting used to the system in place for the district,” Efstathiu said.

Efstathiu said he’s had previous experience with a four-by-four schedule. He said while there is a cost, it allows students to take more classes.

“My goals this year are to get the staff reassured that things are going to go well this year and to get to know everybody,” Efstathiu said.

O’Brien and Schuetz both said their staff members are ready to begin another year in their respective districts.

“I think we’re all looking forward to a great school year,” O’Brien said.

The Journal's Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.