Students are going back to school: Here's what you need to know

TAMPA, Fla. - As students across Tampa Bay prepare for the first day of school, several tips, reminders and warnings are being issued this week. 

One of those warnings came from AAA, which is urging drivers to be cautious with buses and students headed to school for the first time since May.

"[It's] going to be a very busy day on the roads and I think it's important for parents to know that you just need to be careful. It's important for parents to just be very careful with their little ones. And then for those who are driving to be extra cautious when you're out there on the roadway," said Mark Jenkins, a AAA spokesperson. "Just be alert from the moment you leave your driveway and remember that traffic patterns will change dramatically, particularly through neighborhoods and school zones."

READ: Community organizations throughout Tampa help kids prepare for the school year

One of the most significant changes this year is a new law banning cell phones in class.

"When students are engaged on their cellphones, scanning social media, sending texts, surfing the web, they are not engaged in schoolwork. We are determined to make the most of instructional time in our schools," said Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning.

Some districts, including Hillsborough, said it still needs to be determined whether the devices should be put away even during free time.

"I have a couple of schools in my area, middle schools, where they don't allow cell phones," said Hillsborough County School Board Chair Nadia Combs. "It's been [that way] for many years during lunchtime and it's been wonderful for years when kids actually get to talk to each other."

Many students will also see a new state-mandated curriculum in certain subjects.