Miami-Dade Public Schools students head back to class for first day of school

Summer break is officially over in Miami-Dade as tens of thousands of students get back to class for the first day of school on Thursday.

The Miami-Dade County Public Schools district is the third-largest in the United States.

All morning school buses have been rolling out of bus lots and are moving throughout the county to pick up students as they head back to school.

In addition, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres is visiting schools across the district to welcome back students and staff.

And as kids get back into classrooms, there are some changes that parents should be aware of.

Nine schools have either closed or merged with others due to a drop in enrollment. They stretch from southern Miami-Dade County to northern Miami-Dade County.

Other changes involve school meals, with universal free meals coming to an end at most district schools.

There will still be free breakfast for elementary schools and K-8 centers, and 121 schools will continue to offer free meals to all students.

It's also the final first day of school for Dotres, who is retiring, and he said he's excited about what the district has accomplished.

"The last four years have shown continuous improvement," he said. "And we have increased grade-level and above performance consistently for the last four years."

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said it was also deploying extra deputies throughout the county to ensure a safe transition back to school.

Deputies will be helping with pedestrian safety and traffic.