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You can’t avoid late buses, traffic jams or back-to-school jitters.
But with opening day a week away for most N.C. public schools – and even closer for some in the region – there are things families can do to make those days run more smooth.
The biggie: If you’re a newcomer or have kids starting school for the first time, make sure they’re registered before opening day. It may seem obvious, but every year hundreds of students show up after schools open, forcing officials to juggle bus routes and classroom assignments.
“It’s just staggering sometimes, the number of people who wait ’til the day of,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Heath Morrison, who joked about hiring an ice cream truck to drive through neighborhoods signing up students.
Next, make sure students have required immunizations. The youngest children starting school need documented immunizations, and additional shots required for sixth-graders often catch parents by surprise.
Finally, make sure your child’s school has up-to-date contact information for you. Schools have grown increasingly sophisticated about sending alerts by email, text and social media. But if your contact information is outdated, you could be out of the loop.
Good contacts are especially important in Charlotte, where Democratic National Convention street closings and traffic could create significant bus delays the second week of school.
Staff writer Steve Lyttle contributed.
