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Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson announced Wednesday that both he and Nespelem School District Superintendent Rich Stewart agreed to delay the opening of their respective schools until Sept. 8.

Both schools had been scheduled to begin Sept. 1, but with the problem of wildfires and smoke, they decided on the delay.

In Nespelem, Sept. 8 will actually be a training day for teachers, not a school day for students. Nespelem’s annual welcoming barbecue is set for Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. The first full day of classes is Thursday, Sept. 10.

Carlson said that this Thursday evening’s “Welcome Back School Night” will still move forward.

That gathering of students and staff will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Lake Roosevelt School officials told the school board Monday night that the 2014 “Welcome Back School Night” Thursday was a success, with a good number of students and parents taking part.

The evening program lets elementary students learn who their teachers are and get acquainted with their rooms.

The 7th- through 12th-grade students will be able to choose lockers, pick up class schedules, and purchase their ASB cards.

A Monday staff breakfast for both Grand Coulee Dam and Nespelem staff was held at the new school cafeteria, and the Nespelem staff held a training.

Monday night, Grand Coulee Dam’s board voted to seek a waiver from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Education for the emergency late start of the school year.

The waiver, if approved, would take four days off the 180 days of school required by law each year and avoid extending the school year.