By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

Many don’t know what it takes to make the school year run smoothly, from beginning to end, and staff at District 429 changed the routine in the hopes it would go more smoothly.

District Superintendent Brian Dukes explained that by adding an extra teacher institute day prior to student attendance, teachers could better prepare for their students.

“I would say 2/3 of that time was professional development. We were talking a lot about using technology in the classroom, talking about curriculum and getting that where it needs to be. We had a number of staff members present throughout the three days to do workshops and offer some opportunities for staff to reach out and go to areas they’ve never really been able to go. A lot of times parents wonder what the heck we’re doing those first couple of days. The majority of that time was really to gear up for the start of the school year,” Dukes said.

District 429 encompasses Pontiac Public Schools through eighth grade.