Teachers already working, most students back next week

Get the backpacks and lunch boxes ready because most schools in the county will be starting next week.

The Orangefield, West Orange-Cove, and Vidor school districts will begin classes on Wednesday, August 9. Bridge City and Little Cypress-Mauriceville districts have students scheduled to start

Wednesday, August 16, a week later.

New teachers in the three districts that begin next week reported to work in late July, as other districts have other teachers and staff returning to work this week.

Football teams and marching bands reported for practice and rehearsals on Monday and the students had to deal with heat indices in the triple digits. Schools will begin football scrimmage games next week with the regular season set to begin August 25 or September 1 for local teams.

As the new school year begins, the Texas Department of Public Safety says drivers need to watch for school buses and be careful in school zones. A driver's use of a cell phone in a school zone is against the law in Texas, unless a hands-free device is used.

School zones are marked by roadside traffic signs with blinking yellow lights. Driving faster than the designated zone limit can bring a ticket with a $200 fine.

School bus protection laws can bring even higher penalties. Passing a school bus with a blinking red light or stop sign displayed could make a violator face up to $1,250 in penalties, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The red flashing lights or stop sign mean students are getting on or off of a school bus.

All vehicles and all lanes are required to stop, even on major highways like Texas Highway 87 (Texas Avenue) in Bridge City or Texas 87 North by Little Cypress-Mauriceville High. For instance, on a four-lane highway with turning lane in the middle, both sides of both lanes must stop if a bus has its red lights flashing on either side of the highway.