It’s Jarred Burke’s first year serving as Watertown schools superintendent and he said his praise starts with maintenance and custodial staff that have been busy all summer preparing for the new year.

“The custodians did a wonderful job getting all of the buildings ready for the administration, teachers and our students,” Burke said. “I can’t thank them enough.”

He mentioned a handful of housekeeping items students and staff will see on their first day back to classes, which for Riverside Middle School and Watertown High School students will be today. The elementary schools will open their doors to students Sept. 6.

“The playground area at Webster Elementary School was recently paved,” he said. “The parking lot and drop-off area at Lebanon Elementary School was repaved as well as the staff lot at the high school.”

He said a new chiller was installed at Watertown High School, which helps keep the temperatures cooler within the building.

“We did get a new air handler, which will help to keep the air clean and flow better within Webster Elementary School,” Burke said. “We also purchased new furniture for approximately 14 classrooms at the high school.”

He said the new furniture was placed in the science, math, business classrooms and the alternative education charter school located at the high school.

“High school students will see a difference there,” he said.

Watertown High School Principal Josh Kerr said the staff at the high school isexcited to begin the new school year.

“The Watertown High School maintenance and custodial teams have been hard at work over the summer preparing our beautiful facilities for student arrival,” Kerr said.

He said new this year at the high school are several course offerings, including advanced placement government, human geography, physics, CNC (computer numerical control) mill courses and an advanced construction course,” Kerr added. “Watertown High School students and families can expect another great school year with our fantastic team of teachers and staff.”

“The biggest thing for us was filling all of our open teaching positions,” Hustisford District Administrator Heather Cramer said. “We filled a number of positions between John Hustis Elementary and Hustisford Junior and Senior High School, which is great for us. That was a challenge for us.”

She said the district has a new fourth- and fifth-grade instructor, speech therapist and band director at the elementary level. Cramer said the high school will begin the year with a math teacher, business education instructor, alternative education teacher, science instructor and new districtwide school counselor.

She said students will see new technical education electives in the district’s business and agriculture programs.

“We were also graciously gifted some new tech education equipment,” she added.

Cramer praised the custodians for their work in keeping the grounds maintained within the district.

She said the district contracted with a construction manager from Kraemer Brothers of Plain and HSR Architects of La Crosse.

Cramer said the district will be hosting two meetings — with one scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the high school and the other at 6:30 p.m. Sept 28 at John Hustis Elementary — for the public to ask questions of the experts of what is needed within the district’s facilities.

“We want community members to visit with us and we can provide them with the experts to answer their questions,” Cramer said. “If people have questions about the HVAC system or roof they can talk with those we contracted with who will give them the right answer.”

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