Broward public schools welcome students for start of new year
FORT LAUDERDALE - Summer is over for students in Broward.
Tuesday superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright welcomed back students for the start of the 2022-23 school year by visiting schools throughout the district.
At the end of the day, she said enrollment is at 206,000 students which is a lower number than in past years when enrollment averaged about 250,000 students
Despite teacher shortages elsewhere, Cartwright says there is a certified teacher in every core subject classroom. The district recruited more than 100 teachers from the Philippines.
Right now, there are 107 teacher openings and candidates are encouraged to submit applications.
Cartwright also pointed out that there was a full complement of bus drivers for the opening day of school
There were some opening day school bus delays, but parents will soon be able to track their child's bus with a new app. It's called "Here Comes the Bus" and parents can sign up online.
The launch date is September 15, 2022.
Parent Lily John just moved here from New York. Her daughter Elizabeth is enrolled at Croissant Park Elementary in Fort Lauderdale.
John says it was a rough morning because her daughter's school bus didn't show up on time and as a result, they took an Uber to school.
Fifth grader Willie Johnson III said he gave his first day a "B" but was happy to see all his friends.
His father Willie Johnson II drove 90 minutes from his job in Homestead to pick his son up for the first day of school.
"He's a gifted student, so the sky's the limit," his father beamed.
Dr. Cartwright said their goals this year in Broward are to push students academically and make sure security is front and center.
After two years of COVID disruptions, students were grateful to start on an even footing. Although masks are optional a number of students continue to wear face coverings.
Emphasizing safety which has become a top priority after the 2018 Parkland tragedy, Dr. Cartwright said, "We do take threats and we do take bringing items to school very seriously and we will act on that. It's not meant to be as a threat, it's meant to say 'we take that seriously.'"
The district will transition to standard response protocols this year instead of the color codes when it comes to handling an emergency. They said using plain language such as "lockdown," "evacuate," and "secure" ensures all communication with emergency responders is clearly understood.
They will also be using the handheld metal detector program for high schools and middle schools. The searches will be random, picked by a computer that selects schools and classrooms on any given day.
Some students said they're excited to be back with their friends.
"I'm ready, but I'm not," said fifth-grader Janaya Hoggins.
Her dad said protecting her is his number one priority.
"Main thing is security. I don't how well they beefed up security as far as people just being able to walk onto campus. That's my main thing we don't want any active shooters coming into the school," he said.
Bria Felton, whose son Jaceyon attends Pompano Beach Elementary, said she's impressed with the school's security.
"The safety here is good. I love it. I've never changed my son's school. He's been going here for three years," she said.
The boy's grandmother, Jacqueline Gaines, said she's looking forward to him excelling academically.
"He's a really smart kid and I want to say that I'm impressed with the teachers," she said.
Parents whose children need a laptop should check with their school. They can issue laptops to students who need them.
Cafeterias will be open using traditional food service lines.
The district said it will provide breakfast and lunch meals at no cost for all students at 167 eligible schools. Families will not need to complete an application to participate.
The remaining 61 schools will resume free breakfast for all students, under the Universal Free Breakfast Program. Students may also qualify for free lunch meals or reduced-price lunch meals for 4 cents based on their eligibility.
Broward County Public Schools is the second largest school district in the state and the sixth largest in the nation.
