After a long and hot summer, local kids have returned to classrooms and school activities. While it’s too early to have official student enrollment numbers within the first few days, there are early signs of positive growth, according to Fountain Hills Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Cain Jagodzinski.

Enrollment can be volatile during the first several days of the school year, but preliminary data has been encouraging. FHUSD had 1,223 students in its classrooms across all school sites on the first day of the 2023 school year. Last year, there were 1,205 students on campus on day one, according to Jagodzinski.

One of the biggest changes is that pre-kindergarten numbers have doubled since the addition of Little Falcons Preschool this year. The new school has 52 registered students at the time of writing, and there were 26 preschoolers at McDowell Mountain Elementary School by the end of last year.

Jagodzinski highlighted these unofficial enrollment numbers at the “Coffee with Cain” session on Tuesday, August 8. All site principals host coffee sessions where parents and community members can hear about ongoing progress and ask questions. The sessions are already set in the school calendar for the rest of the year, and the next two discussions will be on Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Chris Hartman at the high school, and Tuesday, Aug. 22, with Dr. Kimberly Weeldreyer at the middle school.

Jagodzinski admitted that there were some hiccups on the first few days of school and even before that. There was a teacher who resigned two days prior to the school year starting, but Jagodzinski was able to hire a full-time replacement who just moved to town. The high school had password issues with PowerSchool and a schedule mistake regarding EVIT students, but they are being resolved.

Drop-off lanes haven’t been an issue in the mornings, but Jagodzinski said there were issues and complaints of pick up taking too long after school, especially at the elementary school. By the third day of school, Monday, Aug. 7, Jagodzinski said the elementary school had reduced the amount of time needed for the full process from close to an hour down to 20 minutes.

The PTO is doing its part to keep morale up among parents and local community members. Members are continuing their “Flock a Falcon” fundraiser that was started last year to spread Falcon pride across town. For $25, the PTO will “flock” to the person of your choosing with a “Falcon Fury” yard sign and biodegradable paper confetti.

“The idea is it is done anonymously and once you get flocked, the idea is to flock someone else and keep the school spirit rolling,” PTO Co-President Robin Bratcher said. “Flock a teacher, coach or friend.”

All flocking recipients must reside within the Fountain Hills zip code, and the PTO will flock the residence within 48 hours of receiving the request, weather permitting. To purchase a flocking, visit fhusdpto.org, click on “Fundraisers” under the “Get Involved” tab and fill out the form.

PTO leadership is hoping to add a social media marketing intern through the high school’s new senior internship project, and they are also looking for volunteers to help with the Scholastic Book Fair. The book fair is usually held later in the year, but the PTO moved up the book fair at McDowell Mountain Elementary School to the week of Sept. 18 to Sept. 22 this year. To learn more, email info@fhusdpto.org or visit the PTO booth at the Back to School Bash on Friday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Town of Fountain Hills Parks and Recreation Department puts on the annual event for families and students to enjoy water slides, inflatables, yard games and more at Four Peaks Park.

The school year is just beginning, and this will be another busy year with consolidation wrapping up. The FHUSD Governing Board will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 16, for a work study session and business meeting starting at 5 p.m. Among other topics, the Board will finalize its goals for 2023-24, and hear a presentation regarding the planetarium and indoor playgrounds at McDowell Mountain Elementary School.