Putnam Sees Successful First School Day

Putnam County Schools first full day concluded and the district is off to a strong start.

Communications and Marketing Supervisor Buddy Pearson said an estimated 12,000 students attended school Monday. He said buses picked up and dropped off students without issue. Pearson said the only real issue was the traffic caused by different construction projects taking place around the county.

“The construction on South Jefferson made it a little tougher on the car lines for Prescott South Middle and Elementary Schools,” Pearson said. “That construction on Highway 70 where it was just one lane, I got caught in that this morning leaving Baxter Primary and some of the other Baxter schools, so I know that kind of makes it a little rough, and then of course the construction on 10th Street that’s been going on.”

Pearson said they are starting the year with the exciting changes of the new Park View School and new principals at Cane Creek and Sycamore Elementary Schools. Pearson said the community as a whole is buzzing about the start of school, with businesses already getting invigorated by the start of the fall sports season.

“You know school’s in session because if you go out in town, there’s a lot more cars,” Pearson said. “And if you’re on the road between 7:30 and 8:00 you see a lot more of the traffic, but that’s great.”

Pearson said there is a period at the start of each year when students are still getting used to the school schedule, but they usually readjust without much issue.

“You just want to remind them, for those new students that might be moving up from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school, I mean there’s going to be a transition there,” Pearson said. “So it’s always getting familiar, you know, with where you have to go and what you have to do and the places you have to be.”

Pearson said the first day of school is a special occasion that educators and staff get excited for across the district.

“This is what we do,” Pearson said. “We’re in the education business so, you know, this is kind of like our Christmas. I mean this is something that, you know, we look forward to and plan for. We’ve been planning all summer for the first day of school and now here it is.”