In an effort to find ways to keep students connected to the school community and offer them all of the resources they need to succeed this year, the Averill Park Central School District will begin running late buses.
Starting on Tuesday, November 3, the District will offer hybrid students in Grades 6-12 the option of staying after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for academic help with teachers on their in-person learning days.
“At the high school, we feel that adding back our late buses is important so that we can begin to offer our students the opportunity to stay after school with their teachers for extra help and support,” APHS Principal Heath Quiles said. “We know that our new instructional models present unique challenges for all of our students. With late buses, even a bit later than normal, we are able to equitably make sure that our students can access help, regardless of whether they are remote, in-person, or 100 percent hybrid.”
Extra help will be offered across all departments. At the high school this will be done on a rotating schedule in order to help with social distancing and CDC COVID-19 guidelines. On A-Days, extra help may be offered in Social Studies, Math, Art, Music, and Study Skills. On B-Days, extra help may be offered in ELA, Science, LOTE, Technology, and PE/Health.
At the middle school, any teacher can stay after school with students on each of the late bus days.
“We know that students benefit from additional adult assistance after school and it is great to restore late bus service to support the needs of our students,” AMS Principal Robert Messia said.
High school students who want to stay after school for extra help need to make arrangements with specific teachers ahead of time. Once that is done, students must complete this form prior to 9 a.m. on the day they are planning to stay.
The same rules apply for the middle school. Students must complete this form prior to 9 a.m. on the day they are planning to stay.
The District has also offered the program for students who attend the District, but live in the Wynantskill Union Free School District and the North Greenbush Central School District.
While the transportation department is stretched thin this fall, it is finding a way to make this possible. Due to transportation limitations, late buses will depart Averill Park High School at 4:30 p.m. and Algonquin Middle School at approximately 4:45 p.m.
Students staying after school may be picked up by a parent at 3:20 p.m. Those students who are not picked up will wait for bus dismissal at the aforementioned times.
Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, APCSD will continue to do everything it can to meet the needs of and create opportunities for every student every day.