Superintendent welcomes students back to school

Manatee County School District Superintendent Rick Mills welcomed more than 45,000 students and roughly 2,450 teachers back to school today for the first day of class.

He visited Braden River High School at 8 a.m. this morning before meeting Bashaw Elementary School students at 8:45 a.m.

Throughout the day Mills will also visit Buffalo Creek and Lincoln middle schools; Mills, Blackburn, Tillman and Palmetto elementary schools; and Palmetto High School.

Before visiting the schools, Mills saw the district's bus drivers off as they left to pick up students.

This year, the bus fleet consists of 163 buses serving more than 16,000 students who ride the bus.

If you are planning to visit one of the district’s schools today, the district asks that you call the school in advance.

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].