Back To School 2000

It's back to the books as students begin new school year
Palo Alto Weekly Cover Story, September 6, 2000

In this photo essay, the Weekly's photography staff endeavored to go back to school to capture those first few days back in the classroom.

From children playing on newly-minted playgrounds to high school students comparing class schedules, Acting Chief Photographer Kate Robertson, Staff Photographer Robert Bradshaw and intern Matthew Walker took their lenses back to four Palo Alto schools--Escondido Elementary School, Jordan Middle School, Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School--to record the annual event.

School started on Tuesday, Aug. 29, with an unofficial enrollment of 10,103 students. that is up 77 from last year. Official enrollment will be recorded on the 11th day of school, Sept. 12.

Enrollment didn't go up as much as the district expected, said Business Manager Bob Golton.

"We know that housing activity and actually the stock market is considerably quieter than it was last year. Anybody that could predict how both the stock market and interest rates would go, would probably be a good predictor of enrollment," Golton said.

"We seem to be holding our own this year over last year," said Irv Rollins, assistant superintendent for educational services. The elementary schools' enrollment has stayed about the same or have gone down slightly. Last year, there were approximately 4,500 children in elementary school. This year, that number has decreased by about 50 to 80 children.

This year's start was complicated somewhat by the continuing construction of about six schools in the district which are undergoing extensive renovation work.

At Escondido School, as well as several others, playgrounds and other sections of campus are closed to students while construction work continues. In some cases, teachers and their classes were able to move into new classrooms, with empty closets and shelves to fill and new fixtures. Students and their teachers will have to coexist for the time being with construction workers, who for the most part are working around school schedules to complete work on wiring, roofing, and classroom-building. In one case, at Walter Hays School, a classroom of students had to be moved to a different location because of construction noise.

Director of Building Development June Schiller said work is being done to help minimize most construction noise during the school day.

Click on the image below to see a larger version.