Across Butler and southern Warren county, other public school systems and private schools will also soon start classes as thousands of students locally begin a second, full school year under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently masks are optional for students though recent recommendations from the CDC, state and local health officials are urging schools to make masks mandatory in the wake of recent weeks of upticks in the number of cases of the coronavirus variant, which doctors said is more contagious than the original virus’ first appearance in March 2020.
But for Butler Tech’s 1,525 high school students it was excited smiles under masks for many as one of Ohio’s largest career school systems reopened for the new school year.
“The day is going really well,” said Butler Tech Spokeswoman A.J. Huff.
“It is great to see all of our sophomores, juniors and seniors on campus all at once with full classrooms and parking lots. And most importantly, it is great to see all of the smiles of the students, teachers and staff, with or without a mask,” said Huff.
Butler Tech’s four main high school buildings are the D. Russel Lee in Fairfield Twp., School of the Arts in Hamilton, Bioscience Center in West Chester Twp., and the Natural Science Center in Monroe.
The career school also operates satellite classrooms and programs at high schools in Butler County’s 10 public school systems as well as in Northwest Schools in northern Hamilton County.
Due to classroom construction and expansion at the Monroe Natural Science Center, said Huff, students from there are now taking academic courses on the Fairfield Twp. campus until work on the new learning facilities is completed.
First day for Butler County schools
Badin: Thursday, Aug. 19.
Butler Tech: Started Tuesday
Edgewood: Tuesday, Aug. 17.
Fairfield: Tuesday, Aug. 17.
Fenwick: Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Hamilton: Monday, Aug. 16: PK-12 students with last names beginning with A-K. Wednesday, Aug. 18: PK-12 students with last names beginning with L-Z.
Lakota: Wednesday, Aug. 18: Students in grades 1-2. Thursday, Aug. 19: Kindergarten phase-in days begin.
Madison: Tuesday, Aug. 17: Middle and high school students with last names beginning with A-M. Wednesday, Aug. 18: Middle and high school students with last names beginning with N-Z. Monday, August 23: Pre-K and grades 1-5 students; Kindergarten students with last names beginning with A-L. Tuesday, August 24: Kindergarten students with last names beginning with M-Z.
Middletown: Starts today.
Monroe: Thursday, Aug. 19.
New Miami: N/A
Ross: Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Talawanda: Wednesday, Aug. 18: Students in grades 2-12. Monday, Aug. 23: First day for students in grades K-1.
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