At 7:45 a.m. Monday, Battle High, Columbia’s newest public school, opened its doors for the first day of summer school. Principal Kim Presko says despite minor issues with the school bell system, students and faculty were enthusiastic about the first day.
“Just the atmosphere is just very exciting and relaxing at the same time,” Presko says. “We just have such a beautiful faculty here and the kids just seem to feel at home. I had the opportunity to walk through most of the classes this morning. Kids are learning, teachers are teaching, it’s what we’ve been planning for.”
Rachel Bennett, the principal for the summer session, says that summer school will be used as a test run for the school to identify and correct any issues, such as the bell system. The summer will also be a good dress rehearsal for faculty, as many of the teachers and staff will return for the fall.
Presko says she hired teachers from other schools in the district so students should anticipate familiar faces in the classroom.
The summer session will run until June 28 and serves about 475 students. Enrollment in the fall is expected to exceed 1,000 students.