JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - More than 130,000 students are returning to class in Duval County Public Schools, starting Monday.
DCPS, which is the 18th largest school district in the U.S., includes 197 schools served by 11,560 staff members.
And for the first time, they will be attending school in an "A" district.
DCPS earned its first "A" grade last year under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier,, who told News4JAX he is looking forward to maintaining the district's new ranking.
Bernier credits "accountability" and making sure benchmarks are being set and met for the A rating, which he acknowledged took a lot of work.
"Our people are doing the right things. They're doing the right work, and we're excited about what this next year holds," Bernier said. "That school grade is reflective of our students' achievement."
When it comes to first-day-of-school excitement, Bernier acknowledges that younger students often receive the focus, but he wants to make sure older students aren't overlooked - even if they feel like they've "been there, done that."
"If you're out there thinking that I don't really have to support my sixth grader anymore because they're going off to middle school, no, no, no, no, no," Bernier said. "I need you heavily involved. ... You need to stay in touch with your student. You need to stay in touch with the school."
Bernier said that when families stay engaged by showing up for the little moments, it can make a world of difference.
"I know not everybody has the time to be a class mom or to go on a field trip or to invest an enormous amount of time in the school building, but just showing up to plays, other school events, the class night, the science night, sends a huge message to the faculty that you care about your child, too, and it invests in the faculty to want to continue to help and to continue to support a child," Bernier said.
School buses
In Duval County, students have to live more than 2 miles from their school to qualify for a bus route after a change last year sparked by a bus driver shortage.
The two companies that supply buses to DCPS -- Durham School Services and Student Transportation of America (STA) -- have made significant changes in their recruiting, which include a higher starting pay rate. But there are still holes to fill.
"We have enough buses, right? I need individuals to be able to drive them and drive them safely and successfully," Bernier said. "So we look forward to seeing how that increase in salary impacts ... We're interested in getting more data in order to improve our transportation system."
That data is coming partly from the district's new Edulog bus app, which allows families to monitor a child's bus in real time and be notified through the app if the bus is delayed.
Here's how to download the app to your device.
Note: Only families of registered bus riders with a linked parent account will be able to access this app.
Bus route and stop information for your child is available in your Focus account. Note that this information will only be available if you register your child for transportation each year.
If your child is registered, but you don't see their bus route/stop info, call 904-858-6200.
Pedestrian safety
Last year, 42 Duval County students were involved in some type of pedestrian, bicycle or car incident, and three children were killed as a result.
To help children feel confident when approaching the street and to understand the rules of the road, some DCPS schools are installing "traffic gardens," which are a colorful way to let students practice safe walking, cycling and other training to navigate safe travels.
Florida's updated hands-free law went into effect on July 1, prohibiting drivers from holding a phone, unless it is for a single "tap" to launch an application, like GPS.
That means talking while driving is a no-go, unless you're on Bluetooth or speaker.
With school back in session, more kids will be on sidewalks, and school buses will be slowing and stopping traffic, which means we all need to be more attentive on the road.
"As drivers, we have to be less distracted. We got to put our cellphones down. We got to make sure that on Aug. 11, all the way into June and beyond, we're looking for our kids," Bernier said. "As you approach children, you have to expect them not necessarily to do what you expect them to do. They might do something unique, and you need, as a driver, to be prepared for that."
High school schedule changes
School days for most DCPS high school students will end 15 minutes earlier than in previous years.
The updated school day means classes will be held on to a 3-by-3 schedule with a 50-minute "skinny course."
The exceptions, which include Douglas Anderson, Stanton, Paxon and Wolfson, will maintain their current start and end times, along with 4-by-4 block schedules.
Bernier said these changes will save the district between $8 million and $10 million.
Volunteer program changes
DCPS is strengthening volunteer background checks to better protect students and comply with a new state law.
The type of volunteering you choose determines which background check you need.
There are two types of volunteers:
Level One volunteers are always with staff and never alone with students. Examples include classroom helpers and book fair volunteers. They receive a basic background check including the national sex offender list.Level Two volunteers may be out of staff sight and supervise students, like chaperones. For this level, volunteers need more screening, including a fingerprint check and criminal history review.
Volunteers must pay for the fingerprinting and background check, which costs between $80 and $100.
The policy does not apply to visitors at short events or student volunteers who are minors.
Free, reduced-price lunches
Starting this school year, 37 Duval County Public Schools will no longer offer free lunch to all students.
Elementary lunches at these schools will now cost $4, and secondary lunches $4-$4.25.
Low-income families can still apply for free or reduced-price meals, and students on programs like SNAP will be automatically registered.
All students at these schools can get free meals for up to 30 days while eligibility is determined. The district will notify families of their meal eligibility status within 10 business days of submitting the application.
Eligibility results will be sent via email to the primary custodian listed in the district's records.
About 75% of Duval County's other public schools, designated as Community Eligibility Provision schools, will continue to offer free lunch to all students.
Breakfast will remain free for everyone district-wide.
'Know the Line'
Over the past year, Duval County Public Schools has taken significant steps to protect students by updating its ethics policies and launching educational programs aimed at preventing employee misconduct.
Last August, the district introduced the "Know the Line" program, designed to help parents and students recognize inappropriate behavior by school employees and understand how to report it.
"I look forward to a time where I don't have to continue this conversation, because our ethics are so in place that we don't have to be addressing it any longer," Bernier said. "The bottom line here for me is that leadership drives culture. Culture drives behavior. Behavior creates the result, and that's where data comes in. So as we drive ethical behavior into the culture, the behaviors of our employees and of our students will change."