Back to the Books for South Florida Kids

Officials welcome kids back for first day of school in Broward and Miami-Dade

More than a half a million students from Broward and Miami-Dade Counties headed back to class Monday, ready to hit the books after a long summer off.

Superintendents from both counties started their day early to welcome everyone back. Superintendent of Broward Schools James Notter began his morning at the Central West Bus Terminal in Davie, where he greeted the media and spoke briefly with bus drivers as they headed out on their routes.

"This is the first day of school for a quarter of a million kids coming to the nation's 6th largest school system. It's an A+ school system," Notter said. "Schools are ready, teachers are ready, principals are ready. We'll have 85,000 kids riding buses this morning coming in bright and early and on time."

Notter visited several schools in Broward this morning, including West Broward High School, Miramar Elementary School, and Pioneer Middle School. Superintendent of Miami-Dade Schools Alberto Carvalho visited Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary and Redland Elementary School.

Both school systems are heading into the new year with a monetary boost from the federal government. Broward County is receiving $54 million from the federal stimulus package money and Miami-Dade will get more than $60 million. In Broward, officials will use that money to hire back as many teachers as possible; nearly 600 were laid off at the end of last year due to budget shortfalls.

Notter said they've currently hired back all but 92 teachers. And more hirings are to come in the upcoming weeks.

"There will be openings, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math," said Notter.

In the meantime, students will still have elective classes to attend this year. Programs like art, music and physical education were spared in Broward County, also thanks to the federal stimulus money.

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