First day of school for Tampa Bay area students, teachers: what you need to know
TAMPA, Fla. - All of our Tampa Bay area schools are back in session on Monday, and we've got you covered with everything you need to know as students and teachers head back to the classroom.
From cellphone policy changes to absenteeism in schools, there are several new rules in schools to be aware of, as well as other important reminders for going back to school.
Hillsborough County
As Hillsborough County schools welcome students and teachers back to classrooms on Monday, Superintendent Van Ayres highlighted some key policy updates to keep an eye on.
Hillsborough County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
Ayres said attendance is a big area of focus for the district.
"Nationwide, chronic absenteeism has become an issue over the last three or four years," Ayre told FOX 13. "If you're missing more than two days a month, you're considered chronically absent, and we have fabulous teachers at Hillsborough County, and we can't expect them and our staff to do their job if students aren't in school."
A new cellphone policy will also be in effect in Hillsborough County, mandating that in elementary and middle schools, students' cellphones need to be put away and out of sight once school starts unless the teacher directs them to take it out.
High school students have a little bit of flexibility, with the ability to use it at lunchtime.
One of the major headlines surrounding the Hillsborough County School District is a legal fight playing out between the district and the county commission regarding a proposed tax referendum that would go on the 2024 November ballot with the aim of giving teachers pay raises.
Ayres spoke with FOX 13 about the district's teachers.
"You look at student achievement, when students do well, why they want to come to school, it's about the classroom teacher," Ayres said. "This gives us the opportunity to provide the best classroom experience possible for our students, and in the end, that's what this is about simply. We need great teachers in every one of our classrooms, and that's the goal."
Pinellas County
In Pinellas County, schools are back in session after the district received its first ‘A’ grade for the 2023-2024 school year for the first time in the district's history.
Pinellas County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
Cellphone policies are also updated in Pinellas. Students will need to keep their phones stashed away during learning hours unless given direct permission, and they won't be allowed to have headphones in.
This school year marks the first time the school district is fully staffed on bus drivers, and Superintendent Kevin Hendricks said they have come a long way in filling vacancies that were rampant a couple of months ago.
They started the summer with almost 400 vacancies - a figure that now sits at about 50. Superintendent Hendricks said filling those spots was a huge accomplishment, and they plan to fill any voids with either qualified substitutes or district office personnel.
"We are so excited [at] our teachers that are here," Hendricks said. "You look back at the start of the summer - 300 to 400 vacancies - we've hired from all over the nation, and we're pretty excited to get started today."
Polk County
In Polk County, a banner change students and faculty will be greeted with is a safety policy now in effect for school buses.
Polk County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Superintendent Fred Heid unveiled school bus camera technology in July aimed at capturing drivers who pass a stopped school bus displaying a stop signal.
The Safe Stop program will go into effect this school year, recording license plate images of vehicles that pass stopped buses, sending that footage to a Polk County deputy who then will decide whether a warning or traffic citation will be issued.
READ: Grady Judd, Polk County superintendent unveil school bus safety cameras
Judd and Heid referenced the 22 students Polk County saw die due to traffic fatalities last school year, including one who was struck and killed by a driver who attempted to pass a stopped school bus.
READ: Polk County school buses to feature new technology upgrades
Hillsborough County will feature similar school bus technology with the same intent of cracking down on drivers illegally passing stopped buses.
MORE: Hillsborough schools introduces new cameras to catch drivers illegally passing stopped buses
Pasco County
Pasco County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
Manatee County
Manatee County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
In Manatee County, school zone speed cameras will begin cracking down on drivers who speed in their school zones.
Over the summer break, cameras and warning signs have been installed in school zones throughout the Manatee County school district after Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 657 into law, making sapped cameras legal in Florida.
There will be an initial 30-day grace period where drivers will receive warnings for driving more than 10 miles over the posted speed limit in the school zone. After that period ends, violators will receive a notice of violation with a $100 fine.
Sarasota County
Sarasota County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
The first day of school comes in Sarasota County as the area still recovers from the damage left behind by Tropical Storm Debby.
Superintendent Terry Connor provided an update to FOX 13 on how Sarasota County schools are faring after Debby dumped record rainfall on the area last week.
"Overall, it's been well. We are ready for the first day of school," Connor said. "Structurally, we did fairly well; we had a few minor roof leaks here and there in some of our schools, but we were able to handle those on site. We had minimal water intrusion at the actual site. So, overall, we feel the structural implications are in good shape."
He said the district is working with families that use bus stops in affected areas of the county.
"Right now, we're just working with our families. We have about 50 or so families that have bus stops in areas of concern. We're working with them, we're doing daily assessments of those areas, we've contacted those families to make sure they're ready to go, and we'll have plans for them to be at school."
Hernando County
Hernando County 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
READ: Hernando County math teacher named 2025 Florida Teacher of the Year