It's a 'typical first day of school' as Treasure Coast students begin new school year

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3 days ago

(This story was updated to add a gallery and videos.)
Children carrying bright new backpacks giggled and smiled as they entered their new classrooms Aug. 11.
Treasure Coast public schools opened their doors to greet children after the summer break.
From school superintendents waving to bus drivers as they headed out on their early-morning routes to educators forming a tunnel for children to get excited about the new school year, the day went smoothly, officials said.
'It was a really impressive first day,' said Kyra Schafte, Indian River County School District spokesperson. 'The day progressed well and teachers really focused on instruction.'
Martin and St. Lucie officials echoed the sentiment, saying there were no major issues.
"We had a good first day," said St. Lucie County schools spokesperson Lydia Martin.
Law enforcement officials across the Treasure Coast reported no problems on the roads, and specifically around schools' drop-off lines on the first day of school.
'It was just a typical first day of school,' said Indian River County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Capt. Joe Abollo. 'Everybody was where they needed to be.'
It was an assessment share by police and sheriff's officials across the region as the 2025-2026 school year began.
Indian River students all smiles heading to class
Some 500 grinning students filled the cafeteria at Dodgertown Elementary in Vero Beach on the first day to share breakfast, regroup with friends and get taken to new classrooms by their teachers.
Between bites of strawberry Pop-Tarts and sips of chocolate milk, they hugged friends while teachers corralled them, eager to start the new year. Third graders Paris White, Benito Sanchez and Justin Alvarado-Blanco, all 10, high-fived after missing each other all summer. Paris spent the summer playing Roblox, Benito traveled to Georgia and Justin spent time at the pool.
'I'm happy to be back and see my friends,' explained Paris. 'It's cool to learn with them again.'
Students congregated in the cafeteria before class so teachers could collect them before instruction began at 8:50 a.m., explained third-year Principal Felice Bagley.
'A lot of planning goes into what we do here,' said Bagley. 'We not only want to help teachers gather students, but to provide students with the most important meal of the day and let them get acclimated with the day.'
Bagley expects all the kinks to be worked out by the second day.
'The controlled chaos will die down, and by tomorrow we'll be a well-oiled machine," she said.
St. Lucie County schools welcome students
In St. Lucie County, cheers, high-fives and homemade signs greeted the line of parents and students walking through the school gates for the first time since May, as the school district held its annual Tunnel of Hope.
The tunnel — comprising teachers, school district staff and public-safety officials from the police departments, Sheriff's Office and Fire District — is a tradition that moves to a different school campus each year for the first day of school. This year was the turn of Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie.
'Our schools are the place to be. Your kids are going to be safe and they're going to get a great education and they are going to be around happy people," Superintendent Jon Prince said while holding a handwritten 'YOU CAN DO IT' sign at the Tunnel of Hope. "The most important thing is for kids to enjoy their school experience.'
And it seemed like students were ready to do just that. They said they were excited to return to campus and to see friends and teachers again.
Franklin Shaffer, a 6-year-old who spent the summer visiting Walt Disney World and SeaWorld, said he was excited for science class. Franklin's mom, Tiffany, said she would miss having him at the house while she works from home.
'I'm sad. It was really nice having him home over the summer. It's bittersweet,' Tiffany Shaffer said.
Noah Juscal, 6, who spent the break at summer camp, said he was excited to see his favorite teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, again. His sister, 5-year-old Gabriella, was looking forward to starting kindergarten.
The first day was going smoothly so far, said Prince, who started his morning bringing donuts and coffee to the drivers at the bus compound. From there, Prince visited the district's newest school, Legacy High School, for its first first day of school. Then came the Tunnel of Hope.
'No issues so far, but I'm sure there are issues. I just don't know about it yet,' Prince said with a laugh.
Common first-day concerns include students learning their bus routes and getting on and off safely and at the right stops. Prince encouraged parents to download the Here Comes the Bus app to track their children when using the buses.
Martin County students excited to see friends
By 9:30 a.m., Martin County school Superintendent Michael Maine already had been to five schools.
'Everything's running smooth,' he reported just after the bell rang at Murray Middle School in Port Salerno, where tornados damaged at least two buildings last year during Hurricane Milton.
By the end of the day, 18,500 meals had been served to students; and about 58 buses had been on the road, spokesperson Derek Lowe said.
Martin County schools this year received an A grade from the state for the first time in seven years, which makes Maine 'incredibly proud,' he said. Murray Middle received a B. But six schools received Cs, which Maine called "unacceptable.'
Teachers there will be focusing on individualized instruction to bring those grades up. That includes enriching students who are achieving at a high level and working specifically with students who are behind, he said.
'The goal for me is to always ensure our students are getting the best education,' said Murray Middle School Principal Tiffany Roth. She wants to be sure students grow as much as they can while at Murray, she said.
Damage is still visible on the Ag Building, where half of the roof was torn off, and on the building where band, chorus and media center were. Milton tore off 90% of that building's roof.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided two portables, which now house band and chorus classes. The district hopes $30 million in repairs can begin in fall 2026 and be completed in 2028, Lowe said.
Inside Room 115, Murray Middle seventh-grade math teacher Stevie Clarke was orienting her students to their schedules and the way to transition between classes.
On the wall of Clarke's classroom, a banner in a rainbow of colors sent a message for the new school year: 'Striving for Excellence.'
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Like across the Treasure Coast, morning drop-offs at Felix A. Williams Elementary in Stuart appeared to go smoothly on the first day of school, with parents and children in cars and SUVs turning in off Baker Road from both directions and waiting only briefly until their kids could hop out.
Adelyn, 10, a fifth-grader at Felix A. Williams, was most excited about 'seeing her friends again, meeting her teacher and having a great year, explained her mom, Jennifer Korber of Stuart.
For Kade Guppy, 8, the first day was the first time at Felix A. Williams after moving to the area. He was 'excited to meet new friends,' said his mom, Kait Guppy.
Staff writers Corey Arwood, Keith Burbank, Olivia Franklin, Will Greenlee , Wicker Perlis , Jack Randall and Nick Slater contributed to this report.
Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: School year begins for Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie students
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