SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — More than 65,000 students returned to Seminole County Public Schools on Monday, marking the first day of the new academic year with celebrations, traffic backups, and renewed safety protocols.
About 32,000 students rode buses to school this morning. At the Winter Springs bus depot, administrators greeted drivers with colorful light wands and music to kick off the day. Captain Ron Shaw, Director of School Safety and Security, said his team spent the summer focused on training and communication.
“With us internally, it’s going to be oral communication,” Shaw said. “I’d rather have duplication and redundancy in our efforts than us getting something.”
Shaw also urged parents navigating crowded drop-off lines to be patient, which were visible outside Crystal Lake and Midway Elementary schools. He reminded families to use social media responsibly to avoid creating unnecessary anxiety.
At Crooms Academy of Information Technology, the district celebrated the school’s 100th anniversary with its annual bell-ringing ceremony. Superintendent Beamon highlighted that 95% of Seminole County schools earned an A or B rating last year and announced new safety measures for the upcoming term.
“We’ve added a weapon detecting dog to our Lyman High School SRL program,” Beamon said. “So that’s the fourth of our weapon detection K9s on campus.”
For seniors like Tehya Weber, the first day carried extra weight. Weber, who plans to study cybersecurity at UCF, spent her summer working three jobs and taking eight classes.
“It’s a bit emotional because it is my last first day,” Weber said. “But I’m excited for the year to come because there will be amazing opportunities ahead.”
School Board Chair Robin Dehlinger encouraged parents to enjoy the milestone and trust the district’s safety preparations.
“Your kids are going off on another year,” Dehlinger said. “We’re going to take great care of them, get them home safely to you.”
As the new school year begins, district leaders say their focus remains on sustaining academic excellence while keeping campuses secure for all 65,000 students.
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