Roughly 85,000 Pinellas County students returned to classrooms Tuesday as the district kicked off the new school year — alongside Polk and Hernando counties, which also started the same day.
Transportation was a major focus this year. The district shifted start times at four larger schools specifically to streamline bus routes, part of a system now running 309 routes and carrying more than 20,000 students daily. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick noted this marks the third consecutive year the district has been fully staffed in transportation, though he cautioned that typical first-week hiccups — longer car lines, adjusting schedules — are expected before routines settle in.
The bigger shift this year is around wearable technology. Smart glasses, including Meta’s, are now banned during the school day over concerns about students being recorded without consent, though the district is allowing them at select school events like football games and graduation ceremonies. Smart watches remain permitted, but only for telling time and location tracking — not during tests. Existing cell phone rules stay in place: phones off and out of sight for K-8 students during the school day, with high schoolers allowed access during lunch.
One bright spot for the first day: Melrose Elementary in St. Petersburg earned an “A” grade for the first time, a milestone for a school that’s served the South St. Petersburg community for decades.
Source: Spectrum News, reporting by Angie Angers.