MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The following is adapted for Marion County Public Schools with NSPRA permission from David Luther, retired Public Relations Officer for Jefferson City Public Schools in Missouri.

Humans often have a bad habit. They sometimes focus on the negative things in their lives and fail to recognize the positives. Media and social media do not help much in this regard. Bad news and misinformation are typically more likely to get published, broadcast, and shared, and as much as they might not want to admit it, they hear, read, watch, and share these stories. Reporters and editors will sometimes use the terms “soft” or “fluff” for positive stories. That’s a shame, because some of these stories are the most remarkable.

Today was the first day of the traditional school year for 40,461 students in Marion County Public Schools and things ran amazingly well. Other descriptors included “smooth, “calm,” and “exciting.” However, some students were not registered. Others never showed up. Some buses ran considerably late. Some students had medical conditions requiring immediate attention. Carlines were crowded, and traffic crawled in some areas. No doubt almost every student, parent and teacher had something go wrong.  But what about the other side of the story?  What went right?

• 40,461 students showed up for face-to-face learning – roughly 88% of the 46,195  we anticipate, and 259 more than last year’s opening day.
• 21,000+ students had a safe bus ride to and from school. Most of our buses showed up on time or within the first few minutes of class. Those riding the bus enjoyed dependable service with a smile. Our 250 buses cover an average of 31,763 miles every day. Our district is a big one – 1,650 square miles, larger than the state of Rhode Island. Our bus drivers, aides, and Transportation folks do tremendous work. Before day’s end, Transportation workers even gained support and appreciation for how organized buses were on opening day. Families called the Transportation Hotline, 352.671.7050, 1,271 times as of 3:45 p.m., more than in recent years.
• Despite multiple immunization opportunities and reminders as recent as last week, 171 seventh graders could not attend class because they showed up for school without state-required immunizations, more than double last year’s 84.
• Stagger-start kindergarten allows one-third of kindergarten students to attend and adjust to their new classroom environment in a smaller setting. This provides  additional one-on-one time for these young learners and their teachers. Today’s session brought 2,405 kindergarten students into new learning environments before all classes come together Thursday for the first time.
• Exactly 2,634 children and their parents benefited from Marion Afterschool Programs, MAP. At this time, all 42 MAP sites are filled to capacity, and approximately 400 students are on waiting lists.
• Our 400+ cafeteria workers served 11,363 breakfasts and 28,945 lunches today in our school cafeterias –  40,308 total meals, higher than last year. All 56 serving sites provided healthy food choices (although more than a few super doughnuts and cookies were eaten, too). About 60% of our students are eligible for free and reduced meals. For some students, these were the best meals of their day. For some students, these were the only meals of their day. Our Food Service workers are amazing! Last year, they served 9.8 million meals to students!
• Over 3,500 teachers, principals and other instructional and support staff greeted students, helped them find their classes, began the teaching process and in general did an exceptional job. This includes more than 530 teachers brand new to Marion County Public Schools. This did not happen by accident. Most teachers and school personnel spent much of their summer preparing for the new school year so things started right. And we still have 68 teaching positions open as of today.

Here’s to a wonderful 2025-2026 school year!