Sunday, August 17
Dear Harrisburg Elementary School Families,
Due to recent weather events involving heavy rain, construction work on Building One at Harrisburg Elementary has been delayed. To ensure classrooms are fully prepared and safe for our youngest learners, the first day of school for grades K–4 will be delayed by one week.
Grades K–4 will now begin school on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 (the day after Labor Day). Kindergarten students will still attend either Group A, B, or C as assigned. Group A will attend on Tuesday, September 2nd, Group B will attend on Wednesday, September 3rd, and Group C will attend on Thursday, September 4th. Additionally, Back To School night for 1st-4th grades will be held on Thursday, August 28th, from 5-6:30 pm, and Back to School night for Kindergarten will be held on Friday, September 5th, from 3-5 pm. The first day of full-day kindergarten will be Monday, September 22nd.
This change does not impact the start date for grades 5–12, which remains Monday, August 25, 2025.
Since the beginning of the seismic construction work in Building One at HES, the District has held regular meetings with the contractors involved, and everything was on track to be completed until the recent rain created a few problems in some of our classrooms and hallways. Because the District remains fully committed to ensuring a safe environment for all HSD employees, students, and community members, it was determined that the best decision for everyone involved was to delay the start of school for K–4 students by one week. We appreciate your flexibility and commitment as we work to ensure that our spaces are safe and ready for staff, students, and the community.
Because the Oregon Department of Education mandates specific contact hours for each grade level—and elementary grades require fewer hours—the delayed start for K–4 students will not affect any other school calendar dates. The last day of school for all students remains Thursday, June 11, 2026.
We understand that schedule changes can create challenges for families, and we thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and community. We look forward to seeing our grade 1-4 students and kindergarten Group A on Tuesday, September 2, and all students in grades 5–12 on Monday, August 25.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me or call the HES office at 541-995-6544 .
Sincerely,
Steve Woods