It's back to class for students in Hernando County on Monday, and some changes are ahead when it comes to bell times and busing.
Summer is just about over, and Elizabeth Schwinge is taking care of those final details in her classroom, such as unpacking books and getting things all set up. Schwinge is a science teacher a West Hernando Middle School and she's ready for another school year.
"I feel like it's the first year I started teaching and it is all just as exciting," she said.
There are some changes this year, and one of them has to do with busing. For the last few years, there has been no busing for students who live within two miles of school.
That has been tweaked, and this year, busing is being offered to most elementary school students who live a mile or more from school.
School start times will undergo another big change. Under the new start times, some students will get up earlier, while others will get to sleep in.
Most middle schools will be starting about an hour and 40 minutes later this year, and elementary schools will be starting about 40 minutes earlier. K-8 and high school bell times have been changed slightly.
Pine Grove Elementary School principal Earl Deen says the early switch is good for his students.
"We find that our students do better earlier in the morning," he said. "So it will work wonderful."
In addition to the changes to bell times and busing, the district has moved to six-period instructional days for middle and high schools.