- The first day of school in Leon County is Thursday, August 10.
- There are still about 100 kids waiting to be enrolled in a school. You can enroll your child online. It'll take roughly 48 hours.
- There is still a need for 15 bus drivers, however none of the routes will be affected.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a final push to get students enrolled in school! I'm checking with Leon County Schools on where they stand with the start of school less than 24 hours away.
While some kids are soaking up the last day of summer fun,others are getting some last-minute back to school shopping done.
"Happy and sad. Glad to get on a regular schedule but sad summer's coming to an end," said Anfinson.
Cindy Anfinson is picking up a few things before her two kids head back to Woodville Elementary School.
They're part of the over 30,000 students returning to school in Leon County on Thursday. However, there could be more students adding to that number.
Spokesperson for Leon County Schools Chris Petley said there are a little over 100 kids still in the que to be enrolled in schools.
Although the district is adequately staffed with over 2,000 teachers to welcome students into their classrooms, Petley said more staff could be added after the enrollment period is over.
"We base our staffing on enrollment," said Petley. "We know there's going to be some folks who show up tomorrow and we're trying to get the message out you have to be enrolled in school, because if you're not enrolled as an incoming kindergartner or someone new to town, you're not going to be able to start class tomorrow."
Petley said the district's admissions office has additional staff to help expedite the process, but it will still take roughly 48 hours to get your child enrolled.
Since Anfinson's kids are returning to the same school.. this isn't something she's worried about. However, getting to and from school is a concern of hers.
"There's a new student pick up routine, an app that I'm a little concerned about so I'm a little anxious to see how that's going to work," said Anfinson.
Even though some parents drive their kids to school, there are still around 10,000 students taking the bus each day. Petley said although they're still short about 15 drivers, "that does not mean that our routes aren't going to be covered," said Petley. "We have leads in our bus compounds, we have bus compound directors, they'll be out driving tomorrow and throughout the week until we finish up hiring."
With over 100 bus routes running throughout the county, additional traffic is something Petley wants to warn people about.
"There are a lot more parents that are bringing their children to school on the first day and week of school, and when there's more traffic around our school, that slows down our buses as well," said Petley.
As everyone adjusts to going back to school, "we just ask our community to be patient with us for this week," said Petley. "We look forward to welcoming back everyone to the first day of school."
A day Anfinson said she's ready for.
"I'm glad they're going back to see their friends and teachers that they know," said Anfinson.
Whether you still need to enroll your child or find the right bus route, Petley said the best place to find the information you need is online.
