New Albany-Floyd County students head back to the classroom Wednesday

FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) — Students in New Albany-Floyd County Schools went back to the classroom Wednesday for the start of another school year.

Buses started picking up kids around 6 a.m., and the district is transporting  around 7,000 students to and from school.

NAFCS Director of Transportation Eric Reid said they did a lot of work over the summer in terms of transportation.

"This past year, we changed our routing software over to a new program, so we have been inundated with a lot of phone calls and messages through the app," Reid said.

The district is now using Stopfinder, a transportation app that gives parents more accurate information about their students' bus schedule.

NAFCS Superintendent Travis Madison sat down with WDRB Mornings Tuesday before the first day of school and gave some tips to parents and students on starting the school year off on the right foot.

Madison asked parents to have patience with the buses on the first week of school, as drivers get the hang of their routes.

In May, the school district gave teachers and bus drivers a raise. According to Madison, the raise has definitely helped retain bus drivers.

Starting salary for teachers is now $50,200 and will top out at $85,300. Starting pay for bus drivers will increase to $27.67 an hour beginning this school year, and increases to $28.82 an hour for the 2025-26 school year.

On Wednesday, the first bell rang at Floyd Knobs Elementary School at 8 a.m., and balloons filled the gym for the new kindergarten families. Principal Luanne Suer said it is an emotional day for some parents, but her and her staff had several things planned to make it a fun day for everyone involved.

The school hosted a breakfast for all the kindergarten parents, and the new kindergarteners had activities to look forward to with the gym teacher.

Students also filed into Highland Hills Middle School Wednesday to start the new year. 

Brennan Banet, from Southeast Christian Church, greeted students at Highland Hills on the first day. Banet, who grew up in Southern Indiana, wanted to support the students and parents.

"For a lot of them, this might be their first time here at the school. So, just giving them a high-five and a simple, 'we're glad you're here, awesome," Banet said.

Meanwhile at Floyd Central High School, it was a smooth morning as 2,000 students headed to their first period classes.

"Absolutely no issues. Students are here. They know what they are doing," Scott Hatton, Floyd Central High School principal, said.

Hatton also reminded parents to have patience during afternoon pick up.

"Same travel plan as drop off, just expect a little bit of heavy traffic the first few days here," Hatton said.

New Albany-Floyd County Schools calendar and links to the district calendar and website are below.

• Calendar:
  • Start date: Wednesday, July 31
  • Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 (No school) 
  • Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal: Sept. 12
  • Team PD, No Students: Sept. 13
  • End of 1st Quarter: Sept. 27
  • Fall Break: Sept. 30 to Oct. 4
  • Fall Break: Oct. 7-11
  • Students Return: Oct. 14
  • Team PD, No Students: Nov. 5
  • Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 27-29
  • End of Semester/End 2nd Quarter: Dec. 20
  • Dec. 23, 202, to Jan. 4, 2025: Winter Break
  • Teacher Work Day, No Students: Jan. 6
  • Students Return, Begin Q3, Semester 2: Jan. 7
  • No School: Jan. 20, 2025 (Martin Luther King Day)
  • Team PD Day, No Students: Feb. 14
  • End of Quarter 3: March 7
  • Begin Quarter 4: March 10
  • No School: March 17-28 (Spring Break)
  • Team PD, No Students: April 25
  • No School: May 26, 2025 (Memorial Day)
  • Last Day of Classes: May 30
  • End Semester 2/End of Quarter 4
• To view the district's calendar, click here.
• To visit the district's website, click here.

Related Stories:

• New Albany-Floyd County Schools superintendent aims for smooth start as students return Wednesday
• New Albany-Floyd County School board approves raises for teachers, bus drivers

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