Students moved quickly through the halls of area schools Monday with the first day of school.

W.S. Neal Elementary was virtually trouble free and John Knott, principal, at the school credited last week’s open house as the reason.

“We had a really great turn out at our open house,” Knott said. “A lot of parents and students came in to meet teachers and find their classrooms. That certainly helped us on the first day. A big majority of the students knew where to go and how to get around the school. It certainly made everything move smoothly.”

A staggered day at Brewton Elementary School is one that Principal Saundra Ellis said made the first day of school a little easier for everyone.

“We didn’t have all of our students show up for the first day of school at 8 a.m. Monday,” Ellis said. “We staggered arrivals by grade and that has really worked well for us.”

Students in various grade showed up on the hour throughout the day and stayed for a brief time to find their classrooms and meet teachers at Brewton Elementary School, Ellis said.

“Without all of our students in the halls at the same time it was a better day,” Ellis said. “This process really works well for us.”