FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Public School students headed back to class Tuesday.
“The morning has actually not been as hectic as usual. I think last year was actually a little more hectic,” one parent, Sarah Mizrachi, said.
It was all smiles and hugs at parent drop off at Coconut Creek’s Winston Park Elementary. We even saw Billy the Marlin and met Taylor the K9 officer.
“I was a little worried about getting up early since we haven’t been up early all summer, but it was great,” Mizrachi said.
Related story: Broward County Public Schools superintendent says 1st day was successful
Superintendent Vickie Cartwright toured a music classroom and an art classroom at Winston Park Tuesday, but her day started much earlier than that as yellow school buses rolled out before sunrise to take around 60,000 Broward students to their first day of school.
Sky 10 flew above the bus terminal in Pembroke Pines as the buses headed out on 700 morning routes.
“This is an amazing day,” Cartwright said. “We’ve been preparing for this since school let out back in June.”
Local 10 first caught up with the superintendent as she began her day from the north area school bus terminal in Pompano Beach.
“We have a lot to get through this year – we know that,” she said. “We know that there are still some learning gaps that are out there, however we also know that with certified instruction, the certified personnel in the classrooms that’s happening, that they’re able to really assess where are some of those learning gaps, individualized instruction and make a huge difference for our students.”
In Miss. Marsh’s fourth grade class at Tropical Elementary in Plantation, things look a little different than they did during the pandemic.
“As crazy as it sounds, having all the kids in here,” said Jenn Marsh.
She said parent orientation was packed as things begin to hopefully return to some sense of normalcy.
“Kids love to work in groups, they love to work together, and now they’re able to do that from the start,” Marsh said.
On Monday, teachers were briefed on the district’s new plain language emergency system.
Cartwright also addressed teacher vacancies, which were a concern over the summer.
“(On the) first day of school, every core academic classroom will have a certified teacher in front of our children,” she said.
She also said every bus route will have a certified bus driver Tuesday.
For more Back to School information, click here.