By By Lisa Tindell and Kerry Whipple Bean
Students in Brewton and East Brewton will pack up their pencil boxes and notebooks this week as they prepare to return to classes Thursday morning.
Escambia County and Brewton City schools will start the school year with several changes in store for students.
Brewton City Schools will continue to emphasize reading education, with some new programs in place at the middle and high schools.
Brewton Elementary School Principal Deborah Marriott said teachers are ready to welcome students back to class.
T.R. Miller High School will add the Read 180 to its curriculum for an initial class of about 18 students, Smith said. The program - which combines computer work, teacher instruction and individual reading - has been used successfully at the middle school, which is now in its second year of the Alabama Reading Initiative.
Smith said he does not yet know how enrollment will turn out for the year, but enrollment now is down at the middle school.
Meanwhile, 5,487 students are registered to attend classes at Escambia County schools this year.
W.S. Neal Middle School Principal Dennis Hadaway praised his fellow educators.
Hugh White, principal at Pollard-McCall Junior High School, said his team of faculty and staff members will continue to serve students in a caring and compassionate way as they always have.
Phillip Ellis at W.S. Neal High School said he is expecting the largest student body at his school in many years.
Ellis said the curriculum at the school will change some with the addition of a trigonometry class, a philosophy class and a new inter-system Spanish class via satellite.