MARION COUNTY –By most measures, the first day of school in Marion County was a great success according to stakeholders including students, employees, and families.
By day’s end, the number of students in class climbed to 39,418 – about 88% of this year’s projected record enrollment of 44,487 students and 335 fewer than last year’s opening day count. This number normally increases as time progresses.
Stagger-start kindergarten during the first three days will help raise this overall attendance figure as soon as Tuesday, when all kindergarten students show up together for the first time.
In middle school, thanks to several drive-thru and health clinic events, only 242 seventh graders showed up for class without required immunizations.
Noting no major issues during opening day, operations were smooth, organized and efficient. Car lines were busy, as were cafeteria lines and last-minute student registrations.
When it came to food, cafeteria workers served over 37,000 breakfast and lunch meals to students at 55 sites. All students are eligible for free meals this year thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision initiative from the US Department of Agriculture.
As for school buses, most showed up on time or within the first few minutes of class, still in time for students to eat breakfast. Some buses were delayed longer due to higher-than-expected student counts at bus stops, double routes, new drivers on new routes, families unfamiliar with bus stop locations, and drivers placing colored wristbands on younger students to designate them as bus riders during afternoon dismissal.
Transportation delays are a common and expected occurrence during the first days of school. Once drivers become aware of students and students learn their bus route numbers, stop times and locations, these concerns dissipate. The district’s “Here Come the Bus” app offers real-time tracking of school bus locations so parents can meet students at bus stops in more timely fashion.
By midday, the district’s Transportation hotline – 352.671.7050 – fielded 990 phone calls, 25 fewer than the same timeframe last year. This hotline offers help to parents with bus questions and concerns and operates 6AM-6PM for now. Additional district staff will help answer this hotline during the first few days of school to better serve callers. Meantime, the district’s Technology Help Desk answered 131 calls from classroom teachers and other school technology users (down from 192 last year).
District-wide, thousands of students, parents, families, and employees welcomed the first day of school with energy and excitement. In most aspects, opening day ran smoothly, including four schools with new principals at the helm, two who are brand new principals.
For more information, contact the MCPS Public Relations Office.