Well, that was fast. Today marked the first day of classes for IUSD students attending the district’s four year-round schools. Those would be Plaza Vista School, Vista Verde School, Westpark Elementary and Woodbury Elementary.

It’s a question we get a lot this time of year: When is the last day of school in IUSD?

BY SUPERINTENDENT TERRY L. WALKER Every May, for better or for worse, the budget picture becomes a little clearer for school districts, as the state begins to solidify its spending plan for the next fiscal year. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case this time around.

Calling for a greater effort to notify neighboring communities, the IUSD Board of Education continued a proposal to add canopies topped with solar panels to the parking lots of 11 Irvine schools.

We’d be remiss – nay, derelict! – in not mentioning that today, May 8, is recognized as National Teacher Appreciation Day.

For those who like to plan ahead, IUSD has posted its official calendar for the 2012-13 academic year.

Just a reminder that all IUSD schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The federal holiday marking the birthday of the late Dr. King is observed

Over the course of the next nine and a half months, there will be essay questions, reading assignments, science projects and word problems. There will also be field trips, football games, high school dances and, ultimately, commencement exercises.

The Irvine Unified School District’s four year-round campuses are getting ready to welcome students back for the first day of the 2011-12 school year.