YSD1 Connect
September was another busy and exciting month across York School District One. When I look back over the past several weeks, I see much more than a calendar full of events. I see students learning and leading, employees going above and beyond, families showing up, our community supporting its schools, and a district preparing for an exciting future. In short, I see WE. Our work this year is grounded in the belief that the strongest organizations are not built around me. They are built around WE. September gave us plenty of examples of what that looks like across York One.
WE CELEBRATE OUR PEOPLE
September gave us several opportunities to recognize the incredible people who make York One special. We celebrated accomplishments by students and employees across our district, including Mattie Hughes, who received an Educator Award at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. These recognitions are important, but what makes me most proud is what happens when no award is being presented. Thousands of small acts of service, leadership, encouragement, and care happen throughout York One every day. Our people make the difference.
WE KEEP LEARNING THE MAIN THING
Walk into our schools and classrooms and you will see the most important work happening in York One. Students are reading, writing, calculating, experimenting, creating, collaborating, and solving problems. Our focus remains clear: academic growth and achievement for every student. This year, we are challenging ourselves to look beyond activity and focus on outcomes. Being busy is not our goal. Students learning and growing is our goal. Every classroom matters. Every day matters. Every student matters.
WE WELCOME OUR FAMILIES
September brought parents, grandparents, and community members into our schools for Grandparents Day activities, lunches, PTO and SIC meetings, athletic events, performances, book fairs, spirit nights, and many other activities. We want our schools to be places where families do not simply feel invited. We want them to feel that they belong. That is at the heart of our commitment: Be Seen. Be Heard. Belong.
STUDENT VOICE MATTERS
One of my priorities as superintendent is making sure we listen to the people who experience our schools every day, our students. Throughout September, I continued opportunities to hear directly from students about their experiences in York One. What helps them learn? What gets in the way? How are phones, artificial intelligence, social media, technology, and screen time affecting their lives? What can we do to make their classrooms better? Most importantly, do they feel seen, heard, and that they belong? If student voice is important to us, then we must do more than ask students what they think. We have to listen to what they tell us.
TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS | FALL 2027
September marked another important step toward the future of York One as we began the public information process for establishing attendance boundaries for our two middle schools.
Beginning with the 2027 to 2028 school year, York Middle School and White Hill Middle School will each serve grades 6 through 8, while York Intermediate School will serve fifth grade, along with HGSES. Our September 28 virtual community meeting provided families with an opportunity to learn more about the rezoning process and begin providing input. Rezoning is not simply about drawing lines on a map. It is about students, families, neighborhoods, transportation, school communities, and the future of York One. We are committed to a thoughtful and transparent process, with additional opportunities for community participation before a final decision is made.
BUILDING THE FUTURE
Construction of White Hill Middle School continues toward its Fall 2027 opening. We are also preparing for the future of York One Academy, Adult Education and Parenting programs, our Early Childhood Center, and other facility and program needs throughout the district. The Western York County Agricultural Arena is also moving toward completion, creating another exciting opportunity for our students and community. These are not simply construction projects. They are investments in the students who will walk through our doors for decades to come.
WE SHOW UP
Friday nights, volleyball matches, marching band contests, school celebrations, PTO meetings, community events, classroom activities, and student recognitions filled September. Every time a parent sits in the stands, a grandparent visits a school, an employee attends a student event, or a community member supports one of our programs, it sends a message to our students: We see you. What you are doing matters to us.
SEPTEMBER IN ONE WORD: WE
September reminded me once again why I love this work. I saw students succeeding, educators teaching and leading, families filling our schools, employees serving others, and our community supporting its children.
As we turn the calendar to October, thank you to our students, employees, families, Board of Trustees, and community. Let us continue to challenge one another, lift one another up, focus on outcomes, and make sure every student and employee can say: I am seen. I am heard. I belong.
Because it takes all of us. WE ARE YORK ONE.
Mattie Hughes Honored with Educator Award at NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet
Her title may have changed, her the mission remains the same: serving people and strengthening education. Now York School District One’s Coordinator of Human Resources, Hughes was recently honored for the impact she made in her previous role as Principal of Jefferson Elementary School, receiving the Educator Award during the 22nd Annual Western York County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet.
YSD1 Community Champion Award
York School District One will begin recognizing a local business or community organization for its meaningful support of York School District One Students, employees, schools, and programs. Honorees may include members of the district's Connectors Circle, supports of the York School District One Education Foundation, businesses that sponsor district or school initiatives, organizations that regularly provide donations or in-kind support, and community partners that consistently step forward to serve York School District One. The first recipient of the YSD1 Community Champion Award will be presented at the October 13th called Board of Trustees Meeting.
