Back to school: Palm Beach County students brave the heat on the first day of classes
Palm Beach County students returned to school Thursday to psyched up teachers, old and new friends and soaring temperatures.
It was 83 degrees outside as students filed into Dr. Joaquín García High School at 7:30 a.m. for the first school day on the new campus. The 1,700 students were greeted by cheerleaders waving pom-poms, administrators bellowing out directions and the school's band and drumline keeping the energy high.
The school is the district's first new high school in nearly 20 years. Superintendent Mike Burke was on hand to greet students and, in some cases, help them find the front office or the main stairwell.
"Our newest school is incredible," he said, taking in the three-story building swelling with its new students. "Schools are the center of a community. And this is the 'home of the Bulldogs.'"
Thursday's forecasted high temperature was 94 degrees, and Palm Beach County remained under an excessive heat warning throughout the day. An excessive heat warning is issued when the heat index or "feels like" temperature exceeds 115 degrees for two or more hours.
On Wednesday, Burke told parents to make sure their students stayed hydrated in the first sweltering weeks of the school year. The morning temperature Thursday was two degrees above the average of 81 degrees at that time of day in Palm Beach County.
The school district didn't report any major transportation issues on the first morning of class, but some parents had prepared for uncertainty: One Dr. García High parent said she took the first three days of the school year off work to be ready to transport her two kids to and from school in case their bus didn't show up.
Traffic was congested on Lyons Road for nearly a mile north of the school around the time classes started at 7:30 a.m., although a now-functioning traffic light and staff directing traffic inside the school parking lot appeared to make the drop-off process run smoothly.
As a school board member and parent of a student at another high school in the district, Erica Whitfield took in the scene at Dr. García High with optimism.
"We now know what a modern school looks like," she said. "This is going to be a gem on the west side of the county."
Lake Park elementary students hit the ground running in third Haitian Creole dual-language program in the county
Burke also visited Lake Park Elementary, which is celebrating its 100th year as a school on Sept. 27.
Principal Carlos Castro said the school had 20 more students enrolled in kindergarten this year than in years past for a total of around 70 — perhaps a sign that the school district's push to enroll more students in public school from a young age is working.
What to know: AP Psych, new metal detectors: 6 things to know as Palm Beach County goes back to school
Lake Park Elementary is the third school in the district to offer a Haitian Creole dual-language program this school year, along with Rolling Green and Indian Pines elementary schools.
On Thursday morning, dual-language teacher Frangia Mesadieu read aloud to her seven young students and gave classroom commands in Creole — "gade" for look, "pare" for sit, "koute" for listen and "leve men" for raise your hand.
Castro, who is starting his second year as principal, said the dual-language program, a newly minted "zen" relaxation room for teachers and the tight-knit nature of the neighborhoods surrounding the school are what make Lake Park a "true community school."
School metal detectors launch at four high schools
John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Lakes, Seminole Ridge and Palm Beach Gardens high schools all received sets of free-standing metal detectors this school year as part of a $250,000 pilot program.
Burke said students' entrances to those campuses went smoothly Thursday.
He said that John I. Leonard High will likely need another set of metal detectors to scan students quicker on the way in. He said there was not a delay in starting the school day at any of the four high schools in the pilot program.
School start and end times in Palm Beach County
Most elementary schools in Palm Beach County begin at 8 a.m. and dismiss at 2:05 p.m.
Most middle schools start between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and dismiss at 4:05 p.m.
Most high schools in Palm Beach County start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m.
To check a specific school, visit the school district's webpage on bell times.
Bus logistics: Students must have ID, 'register their ride'
District officials have encouraged parents to register their student's bus ride online so they can plan routes and adjust in the first days of school.
All Palm Beach County students are required to have their school-issued ID with them at all times this school year, and the ID badge will be required to board buses to and from school.
Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County back to school 2023: High temps and higher hopes
