For decades, the Westlake Picayune has produces a Back to School special section that is aimed at helping parents and their children make a smooth transition to starting a new school year. The key to its success rests largely with the same volunteer parents that helped make the district exemplary in the latest Texas Education Agency ranking. They once again delivered for us with this year’s installment that appears in this issue.

Other important contributors are district officials, and this year we benefitted from two gifted directors of communications, Dale Whitaker, who recently resigned to take another job, and her replacement, Claudia McWhorter. For eight years, Whitaker made the task of compiling data for our Back to School section easier than the years prior to her arri val. An indication of her conscientious character lies in the fact that she cheerfully stayed on to ensure McWhorter’s transition was as seamless as possible. Whitaker will be missed, but McWhorter is now flying solo and already is up to full speed sending us more helpful information than imaginable.

This year, we also benefitted from a capable intern, West Lake Hills resident and St. Olaf College junior McKinley Noster. Her zeal for reporting can be seen in the five articles that bear her byline in the Back to School special section.

As a result of all of the special assistance we received, we are sure that the special section will make the start of the school year smoother for those who can find time to read it.

Thanks to all of the contributors for making our Back to School issue a product that serves our readers well.