Another school year is about to begin in Lebanon County’s six public school districts and two parochial schools.
Schools are scheduled to open as early as Monday, Aug. 26, and as late as Tuesday, Sept. 3. Here is what local school administrators said students (and their parents) can expect.
Annville-Cleona School District
First day of school for students: Sept. 3
Note: Kindergarten starts on Aug. 29
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 1,437
Expected number of graduates next spring: 123
Additional information: “We are starting full-day kindergarten this year,” superintendent Krista M. Antonis said in an email. “We also have revamped every grade-level’s master schedule to better meet the needs of all students. Additionally, we renovated our Secondary School as well as added some new spaces (updated our stadium for ADA compliance, added team rooms under the bleachers, add an auxiliary gym, added a fitness center, expanded our wrestling room, upgraded our Ag/Tech. Ed. classrooms, added a health classroom, expanded cafeteria, added a LGI, and added new office spaces.”
Looking forward, Antonis said, “we will be continuing to monitor our enrollment based on new developments that are coming into our district to determine next steps with future renovation and addition projects across the district. We are also waiting to hear if we received grant funding to support our new proposed traffic pattern on our secondary campus.”
For more information, visit the district website.
Cornwall-Lebanon School District
First day of school for students: Aug. 26
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 5,000
Expected number of graduates next spring: 380
Additional information: Superintendent Philip L. Domencic said construction of the Falcon Connector building foundation between Cedar Crest middle and high schools – Stage 1 of the ongoing campus construction and renovation project – is underway, as are preparations for the start of Stage 2, which involves the renovation of Cedar Crest High School and Stadium.
Challenges this year include “ensuring the Falcon Connector construction stays on schedule and within budget for completion in summer 2025,” he said, as well as “transportation navigating the many area road projects in order to provide timely service for students to and from school.”
The district is also continuing its implementation of its K-5 reading program, he said, as well as the “continued recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and staff members,” Domencic said. “We’ve been very successful with this.”
For more information, visit the district website.
ELCO School District
First day of school for students: Aug. 26
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 2,360
Expected number of graduates next spring: 180
Additional information: “We are in the last phase of a multi-year renovation of our high school building,” assistant superintendent Barbara E. Davis said in an email. “We have added new resources for our secondary mathematics department. The resources are aligned with the PA Core Standards in Mathematics for Grades 6-8, Geometry, and Calculus.”
Read More: ELCO gives us a tour of newly expanded STEM & ag facilities at ELCO High School
This is the first year ELCO is offering full-day kindergarten, she said, a program that is “aligned with our goals” as outlined in the comprehensive plan and developed by stakeholders in the district. “The implementation of our full-day program will double the amount of time students will receive instruction in reading and mathematics,” Davis said. “We are looking forward to welcoming our youngest learners for a full day and our kindergarten teachers have revised the curriculum to use the extended time in ways that will support the whole child.”
Read More: ELCO board approves full-day kindergarten, will launch this fall
In keeping with the district’s vision of “Educating for Excellence,” the theme for the 2024-25 school year is “Excellence through Shared Values,” Davis said. “This year we will focus on the values identified in our Comprehensive Plan including relationships, connections, and the unlimited potential of our students as we actively shape and prepare them for the opportunities and challenges ahead.” Also, she added, “this year will be our second year in a partnership with Special Olympics to provide an opportunity for our students to participate in the Unified Sports team at ELCO.”
ELCO’s secondary schools “will continue the work started last year with adopt-a-school programs,” Davis added. Last year, she explained, two teams of teachers from the middle and high schools “collaborated with local businesses and began to develop cross-curricular projects that require students to apply what they learn in school to real-world challenges that parallel industry work. These projects will be implemented this year.”
For more information, visit the school website.
Lebanon School District
First day of school for students: Aug. 26-27
Note: Dr. Nicole L. Malinoski, superintendent for Lebanon School District, explained that the district has “two staggered start days on our calendar for junior high and high school students. These are designed to allow teachers to work with smaller groups of students who will be attending new buildings this year. During these two days, students will hear from administrators, learn about grade-level routines and expectations, and have more one-on-one time with teachers and the building before starting their full day-to-day schedules.” Specifically, she said, students from kindergarten through sixth grade will begin on Aug. 26, as well seventh-grade students in the junior high and ninth-graders in the high school. On Aug. 27, eighth-grade students will attend the junior high, and all high school students will be in session.
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 5,024
Expected number of graduates next spring: 293
Additional information: “As you know, we opened our new junior high school last week, which will house 7th and 8th-grade students,” Malinoski said in an email. “For the next two years, 6th graders will attend our Intermediate School at the former middle school address. Starting in August 2026, once renovations at the intermediate school are completed, both 5th and 6th graders will attend daily.”
Read More: Ribbon-cutting ceremony gives first look inside new Lebanon Junior High School
Also, the superintendent said, “this year, we’re implementing a new reading program in grades K-8 called ‘Into Reading.’ Additionally, new science standards were released by the (state Department of Education), and we are ensuring proper implementation across all grade levels.
She reminded students and parents that the district has revised its bell schedule this year. (For more details on the change, read this previous LebTown report.)
“We are excited to begin working on our new comprehensive plan and initiatives,” Malinoski added, noting that the district’s top priorities this year, as outlined in their new mission and vision statement, are student attendance, high expectations, student engagement, and academic achievement.
“We’re also launching a new series highlighting programs, people, and events in our district that embody the mission of ‘Inspiring Minds, Enriching Lives, Shaping Futures,'” Malinoski said. “This series, called ‘We Are the Cedars of Lebanon,’ will showcase the amazing things happening daily that only those within the district typically see.”
Over the next three years, she added, “we will roll out our Portrait of a Cedar competencies. A team of curriculum leaders will develop grade-level lessons to teach our students what it means to be personally responsible, empathetic, adaptable, a critical thinker, a communicator, creative, and a leader.”
For more information, visit the district website.
Northern Lebanon School District
First day of school for students: Sept. 3
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 2,250
Expected number of graduates next spring: 167
Additional information: Superintendent Gary Messinger said the district continues to move forward on a secondary school renovation that will be completed in 2026. “Everything will be ready for school on the first day,” he said in an email.
“The renovation project is exciting as portions of the project will be completed throughout the year,” Messinger noted. “Another area we are focusing on this year is mental health for both our staff and students. We have several trainings and activities planned that align with that focus.”
For more information, visit the district website.
Palmyra Area School District
First day of school for students: Aug. 26
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 3,500+
Expected number of graduates next spring: 288
Additional information: Superintendent Bernie Kepler said Palmyra replaced its tennis courts over the summer and updated the fire alarm systems at the high school and Pine Street Elementary School. “We are fully functioning for the start of the school-year,” he said in an email.
“With respect to curricular changes, we are kicking off our pilot year of implementing new STEEL standards in our science curriculum. STEEL stands for Science, Technology & Engineering, & Environmental Literacy and Sustainability standards,” he said.
“The 2024-2025 school year will prove to be an exciting year at Palmyra,” Kepler added. “During the course of this school year, we anticipate going out to bid for a renovation of our Buck Swank Stadium. This renovation project will include our track and field facility, as well as football facility. Additionally, we will also be going out to bid for renovations to our high school guidance/pupil service area and existing district office, which will be converted to classroom space.”
Read More: Palmyra school board eyes options for school expansion and renovations
For more information, visit the school website.
New Covenant Christian School
First day of school for students: Aug. 26
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 340
Expected number of graduates next spring: 18
Additional information: “We are ready to go, and excited for the school year to start!” George Peach, superintendent and high school principal, told LebTown in an email. “We have added a new parking lot to accommodate our growing school. We have also hired seven new teachers, all with great experience in their fields of instruction.”
Peach said the school anticipates “some of the best sports teams than we’ve had up to this point,” noting that New Covenant offers boys and girls soccer, basketball and volleyball.
“We will also have a Quiz Bowl team this year headed up by U.S. history teacher Stefan Wentling, who is in his second year at NCCS, after 33 years of teaching at Northern Lebanon High School,” Peach added. “Mr. Wentling will also be assembling a group of high school volunteers to assist at the polls in November.” Otherwise, he noted, “our high school students will be participating in missions trips this year in Lebanon and abroad to help with kids’ sports camps, construction, and generally helping people in need.”
For more information, visit the school website.
Our Lady of the Cross Catholic School
First day of school for students: Aug. 26
Anticipated student body size in 2024-25: 112
Expected number of graduates next spring: 5
Additional information: Head of school Deb Waters said enrollment is up 25% this year at the Catholic school, which opened to students in 2021. Consequently, she said, the school added four modular classrooms in January to accommodate the growth.
“In June we purchased 11.26 acres across the street,” she said. “We are starting the process of planning for future growth that would include a new building.”
Read More: Our Lady of the Cross Catholic School eyes expansion
Waters said in an email that the school is “excited to have added 2 full-time educators for the 24-25 school year, and are thrilled to be strengthening our sports, theatre, and arts programs as we continue to provide a traditional education in the Catholic tradition based on faith and family values!”
For more information, visit the school website.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional coverage for the community by supporting our work with a one-time contribution, or joining as a monthly or annual member. You can cancel anytime.
More Top Stories
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
