By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com
School buses, minivans, bikers, and walkers will be back soon — district-wide, students return to the classroom on Thursday, Aug. 10. Drivers should be prepared for an increase in traffic, particularly on the first few days of school as bus schedules are being ironed out.
“With the first day of school right around the corner, we are asking parents to plan ahead even more than previous years due to the increased growth,” St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said. “Drive your route in advance and learn where the student drop off and pick up locations are. Be mindful of traffic congestion where the school zone lights are flashing and speed limits decrease dramatically. Put down your phones and electronic devices and remain alert.”
Hardwick noted that there will be increased deputy sheriff presence especially the first days and weeks of school to ensure safety for all students and teachers as they return to school.
“We are excited to welcome back lots of new students and new teachers to our St. Johns County family,” said St. Johns County School Board member for District 1 Beverly Slough. “In fact, some of our new teachers are our own graduates. I had the pleasure of meeting a graduate from Bartram Trail, one from Ponte Vedra, and one from Nease at a recent orientation.”
According to the St. Johns County School District, the kindergarten through 12th grade student count as of May 2023 was 49,348 students. St. Johns County continues to be one of the fastest growing school districts in the state.
Even with this continued growth, there will not be a new school opening this school year. Three schools are currently under construction, however, with two slated for completion at the beginning of the 2024 – 2025 school year. These are K-8 School “NN,” located in the Shearwater neighborhood and K-8 School “OO,” located within the Beacon Lakes portion of the Twin Creeks development. The third new school, K-8 School “PP,” located in the RiverTown development, is slated to open for the 2025 – 2026 school year.
This year’s district-wide Orientation Day is Aug. 9. Each school will set its own schedule, which might even be on a different day. Parents are advised to check with their student’s school for its specific activities.
Also of note is the Florida Back to School state sales tax holiday, which continues through Aug. 6. Consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies exempt from tax during this time. Visit https://floridarevenue.com/backtoschool for more information, including a list of items that may be purchased with no Florida sales tax.
Photo courtesy Shelley Howard
School buses will soon be back on St. Johns County roads.
