Last Updated on August 7, 2015 9:12 am
The Watauga County Schools’ first day of classes for 2015-16 will be Tuesday, August 18th. August 18th will be a full-length school day. School buses will run their usual routes, breakfast and lunch will be served, and the afterschool program will be open to students registered for the program.
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students begin school on a staggered schedule over several days. Parents of these students are being notified by their school of the date their children will start school.
Class rosters for students in the K-8 schools will be posted at each school no later than Monday, August 10th. Supply lists for students are already posted at most schools and are available on school websites. All school websites can be accessed from the Watauga County Schools homepage at www.watauga.k12.nc.us. Student enrollment and parent consent forms will be provided at school and are also available on the parents and students page of the Watauga County Schools website.
Before classes begin, freshmen and other new students at Watauga High School, along with their parents, should attend orientation at the high school on Thursday, August 13th from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
There are also required orientations for eighth graders and their parents at each K-8 school. These orientation dates and times have been provided to families by their school.
Student fees are $7 in kindergarten through fifth grade, $8 for sixth and seventh grade, and $25 for eighth grade. School fees are not charged for pre-kindergarten students. General fees for high school students are $50, with additional fees depending on the student’s classes.
Watauga High School students will be able to pick up their school-issued laptop computers on the first day of school, but only if they and their parents have completed the necessary paperwork and paid the $50 school fee or obtained a fee waiver. Returning 10th-12th grade students and their parents need to complete the paperwork and pay their school fees by August 11th. The paperwork and payments can be turned in at the high school Student Services office on August 10 or 11 between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Rising 9th graders and other new students at the high school can turn in their paperwork and fees at Freshman Orientation at the high school on Thursday, August 13th. Orientation will run from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on that day.
Laptop paperwork was mailed to incoming freshmen and is available from the home page of the high school website at https://www.wataugaschools.org/Page/25. Student and parent signatures are required on all paperwork, and filling out and signing the forms in advance will help speed the process.
For families that wish to apply for a fee waiver, fee waiver forms are available on the parents and students page of the Watauga County Schools website. A new fee waiver application is needed each year; waivers approved in the last school year do not remain in effect for the new school year.
Regular lunch prices will be $2.40 for prekindergarten through eighth grade and $2.60 for grades 9-12. Reduced price lunches are 40 cents for eligible students in all grades. Breakfast is available for a regular price of $1.50 for all grades. All students eligible for free or reduced price meals will receive free breakfast and are encouraged to take advantage of this service. Cafeteria menus and a la carte prices are available on the parents and students page of the WCS website.
Applications for free and reduced price meals will be provided to all parents on the first day of school and are available in schools throughout the year. Applications are also available on the parents and students page of the WCS website and on request from Watauga County Schools Child Nutrition at 828 264-7190.
Students must be registered for afterschool before they can attend. Parents can speed up the process by filling out and submitting the registration form online before coming to school. The form is available by going to www.watauga.k12.nc.us, clicking on the first heading under parents and students, and then choosing the link for afterschool information under the subheading for other information on that page. State licensing standards require that parents meet with afterschool personnel to officially complete registration. The available dates and times for parents to complete afterschool registration are posted on the afterschool page of the website. The afterschool program serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
An afterschool program for students in grades 6-8 is offered by Western Youth Network (WYN) at Western Watauga Community Center and at Boone United Methodist Church. Information and registration forms for WYN’s afterschool program are available online at www.westernyouthnetwork.org and will also be available in schools on opening day.
All school offices will be closed on Friday, August 14th for employees to attend special information sessions and a convocation at Watauga High School.
The complete school calendar for 2015-16 is available under the calendar heading on the WCS website or on request from a school office.
