The proverbial school bells have started to sound in Wayne County, calling thousands of students to school. A sure sign that summer is wrapping up is when yellow buses and vans take to area roads, taking youngsters to school and home again.

Wayne Highlands School District opened its doors to students for class Monday, Aug. 25.

Wayne Highlands is the largest school district geographically in Wayne County. The district covers 435 square miles and is the second largest school district in Pennsylvania in terms of square mileage.

Superintendent Gregory Frigoletto said that 2,302 students were expected. That includes Honesdale High School, grades 9-12; Wayne Highlands Middle School, 6-8; Lakeside Elementary School, 3-5; Stourbridge Primary School, K-2; Damascus School, K-8; and Preston School, K-8.

Frigoletto said that they have two new teachers, Kyler Gunuskey, a special education teacher at Wayne Highlands Middle School, and George Howanitz, teaching science at Wayne Highlands Middle School. 

George Howanitz is the new football coach to lead the Honesdale Hornets. He taught and coached at Valley View for many years and led the Valley View Cougars to many championship seasons, Frigoletto said.  

Describing new initiatives in place for the new school year, Frigoletto stated that they have adopted the new i-Ready math curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“This program combines interactive online lessons with teacher-led instruction to support personalized learning and address individual student needs. It is designed to align with state standards while fostering strong foundational math skills,” he said, and has diagnostic assessments teachers will use to track progress and guide targeted instruction. 

Describing new initiatives in place for the new school year, Frigoletto stated that they have adopted the new i-Ready math curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“This program combines interactive online lessons with teacher-led instruction to support personalized learning and address individual student needs. It is designed to align with state standards while fostering strong foundational math skills,” he said, and has diagnostic assessments teachers will use to track progress and guide targeted instruction. 

“The district aims for the program to enhance student engagement, close learning gaps, and improve overall math achievement,” he said. “The district is thrilled to put this high-quality curriculum in the hands of students and teachers and looks forward to the continual strive for excellence, setting students up for success.” 

Major paving projects were completed this summer at Damascus Area School and Wayne Highlands Middle School, Frigoletto reported. 

Article Courtesy of: Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.