FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Thousands of students in southern Indiana are headed back to school this week.

Wednesday is the first day for students who attend New Albany-Floyd County Schools.

Bus drivers started arriving to Prosser Career Education Center around 5:45 a.m. to get their day started and head out on the road to pickup their students. Director of Transportation Brad Carriveau said the district has around 115 buses on the road this year, and 125 bus drivers.

Their buses travel around 11,000 miles daily picking up students and dropping them back off at home after the day has ended. Yearly, they travel around 1.5 million miles.

The district is hoping for a better year with its number of bus drivers after several routes had to be cancelled last year. Superintendent Travis Madison said they have a bullpen full of sub-drivers ready to go in case needed.

Something new students will notice this year is a period of time cut out of each day for a program called "SEEK," which stands for Student, Enrichment, and Extension of Knowledge.

"SEEK" is meant to give students who are falling behind more of chance to catch up. And for the students doing well, it will more challenging material.

At Mount Tabor Elementary, Principal Scott Hughes said it was a busy summer break inside the school as they were under construction and received many upgrades. 

Each classroom received new desks, new cabinetry, new flooring, and new teacher furniture.

For years, the district has been one of the first in Kentuckiana to go back to school because its spring and fall breaks are a week longer than most other districts. 

But this year will be the final year for the "balanced school calendar," which was adopted by the district about 10 years ago. Starting with the 2013-14 school year, summer break was shortened to six weeks, adding an extra week onto both fall break and spring break. 

"Next year, the (20)26-27 school year, NAFCS will be moving back to a traditional calendar. So, summers will be a little longer for the kids," Dr. Travis Madison, NAFCS superintendent, said.

That means spring and fall break will each go back to being just one week long for the 2026-27 school year. 

The district asked parents, teachers and students about the change. While Madison admits the reviews were mixed, he said the change will allow for more instructional time. He added that it will also allow more time for students to participate in summer internships—which will become a requirement for high school students in the district starting with the graduating class of 2029.

It's part of an overhaul of Indiana's high school diploma requirements passed last year by the state's Board of Education after it gathered public feedback on its proposal. 

When approving the changes, the board said students will have flexibility to personalize their journey, as well as increase access to work-based learning. 

The new structure also includes a base degree for all students. This encompasses the minimum credit requirements that must be met.

In addition to the basic degree, students can earn an Honors Seal or Honors Plus Seal with a specialization in enrollment (college readiness), employment (workforce development), or enlistment (military).

NAFCS Calendar:

  • Start date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
  • Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 1 (No school) 
  • Team PD: Friday, Sept. 12 (No school)
  • Fall Break: Wednesday, Oct. 1 to Friday, Oct. 10
  • Parent-Teacher Conference Day: Tuesday, Nov. 4 (No school)
  • Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday, Nov. 26 to Friday, Nov. 28
  • Winter Break: Monday, Dec. 22 to Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 
  • Teacher Work Day: Monday, Jan. 5 (No school)
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 19 (No school)
  • Team PD: Friday, Feb. 13 (No school)
  • Spring Break: Monday, Mar. 16 to Friday, Mar. 27
  • Team PD: Friday, Apr. 24 (No school)
  • Memorial Day: Monday, May 25 (No school)
  • Last Day of Classes: Friday, May 30
  • High school graduation: Sunday, May 31

To view the district's calendar, click here.

To visit the district's website, click here.

More Back to School Coverage:

Kentuckiana's back-to-school guide for 2025-26 school year

Local attorney helps students start the school year strong with annual backpack giveaway

Southern Indiana nonprofit helping families save on back-to-school costs

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