There’s a lot to know for the first day of school in Miami-Dade. Are you ready?
Wednesday is the first day of public school in Miami-Dade County. And the beginning of the 2022-23 school year has a few changes that parents and guardians should know about.
Safety guidelines for COVID-19 are different this year. And some federal programs established during the pandemic have changed.
You can turn to Miami-Dade’s back-to-school website for some answers to your questions, including information on registration, before and after school care, parent portal accounts.
READ MORE: How do you find your school? Is there free lunch? When is testing? What about days off?
Here’s some of what to know:
▪ Certain vaccines are required for your child to be allowed in school. Shots are available around the county.
▪ Driving rules change when school starts. Most drivers have to stop for school buses and everyone needs to pay attention to speed zone hours — or pay the price.
▪ The school district has information on COVID rules, bus routes, testing dates and off days.
▪ Federal funding for free school meals ended this summer, but Miami-Dade schools will continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income.
▪ What’s on the school menu? Parents can get a sneak peek before the cafeteria dishes it out.
▪ If you need to report a school threat, you can follow these protocols and keep up with what is being done about it.
‘Tough lessons’
How were teachers, parents and students feeling in the weeks and days ahead of the new year? There are challenges, with a slew of new state laws that limit what can or can’t be taught in the classroom and the elevated role parents can play in decision-making.
