Education

While summer won’t officially be over for another month, it practically ends for about 10,300 Bedford County students Monday.

    Summer vacation is through—the 2011-2012 school year is set to begin.
    “We’re just excited to have the students back,” stated Superintendent Dr. Douglas Schuch. “We’re very excited and enthused about another school year and all of the great things we have in store for the students in the year to come.”
    And there will be changes.

    Joy Wright, the two term incumbent who currently holds the District 1 school board seat, won't be in this year's election.

    "When I originally took the seat, I said that I would only serve two terms," she said. "I think eight years is enough."

    Uzaifa Ahmad was only a few blocks away when the Twin Towers came down in New York City in September 11, 2001.
    “I thought the world had ended,” she said of living through that experience. But having survived it, she confidently told her fellow summer school graduates last week, “We’re going to be OK.”
    Ahmad was one of 11, 2011 Summer graduates from Bedford County Public Schools. Graduation exercises for  them  were held at Liberty High School on Thursday.

    Bedford County’s school board is looking into letting school employees use time in the school division’s sick leave bank to care for an ailing family member.

    The sick leave bank is voluntary. According to Timothy Parker, the school division’s human resources director, the sick leave bank has 740 active members. An employee donates two days to join and may withdraw up to 90 days after all other forms of leave have been exhausted. Parker said that 800 days have been withdrawn from the bank, leaving a balance of 566.