KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) — Today is the day that tens of thousands of local students go back to class.
All of the local public school districts start today. It’s also the first day of class for thousands of college students at Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
It’s also the first day of school at Battle Creek Public Schools. Lakeview and Harper Creek schools have a full day schedule, according to their calendars. Other Battle Creek-area schools have half-days scheduled.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said morning commuters should keep all this in mind as they head out to work. He also reminds drivers to stop when approaching school buses with flashing red lights.
Fuller said there will be more patrols out focusing on school zones to get drivers back in the habit of slowing down this week. The only area district not starting today is Hartford, which has pushed the start of school back a week because of construction delays.
Two Kalamazoo elementary schools targeted by the state for closure this fall because of low test scores, Woodward and Washington, are open after a protracted fight that included lawsuits, rallies and a statewide battle over the whether closing a school.
As school gets underway in Kalamazoo, grief counselors will be on hand for the first day, just as they were last year because of an accidental shooting that claimed the lives of two teens. This year, five students died in a fiery high-speed wreck early Saturday morning. Funeral arrangements are pending. A community memorial service for the five teens will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Returning Kalamazoo students were welcomed by local officials and celebrities as they reported back to school this morning. Board President Patty Scholler Barber said it’s a tradition in the district to let elementary and middle school students know that what they are doing is important.
