Despite heat that says otherwise, one thing tells us summer is soon to give way to fall. The time-honored comings and goings of school buses will return to the area Monday.

     The Lincoln County School District starts Monday, Brookhaven Academy’s first full day of classes is Tuesday, and the Brookhaven School District and Mississippi School of the Arts return to the classroom Wednesday.

     As that first bell rings, the joy of seeing old friends, the uncertainty over starting a new school for the first time, the tearful pride of a parent sending a kindergartener off for the first time will combine with the more work-related concerns of teachers and school administrators.

     When the mixture of emotions subsides, the serious work of educating students will resume full force. As this school year gets under way, educators themselves face some level of uncertainty in how recent changes will affect their efforts and how they are perceived.

     When ratings are released later this year, schools and districts will be “graded” for the first time on an A-F scale. Approved this year by the legislature, the new system replaces one that rated schools and districts from “Star” to “Failing.”

     Officials believe the new system will provide an easier-to-understand method for evaluating the educational successes of districts and their individual schools. An “A” grade is easily understood by all. As is an “F.”

     However, in the middle ground, there could be some consternation surrounding districts and schools that were previously rated as “Successful” but are now only given a “C” grade. That “C” grade does not sound nearly as positive as “Successful.”

     State officials hope the changed grading scale will result in parents and communities becoming energized to get more involved to improve their schools’ grades. All schools should welcome more parental and community involvement and support.

     One regrettable issue this year, following action by the state Board of Education, is that graduation rates will not be a factor in determining school grades. In other words, a school will not be punished evaluation wise because of the number of students who dropped out.

     State Board members said the reason for the move was that only “Star” and “High-Performing” schools – which now would be called “A” and “B” schools, respectively – would be penalized by including graduation rates in the equation. Perhaps, but with Mississippi among the states with the highest drop-out numbers, not looking at how many students a school actually graduates seems like a big omission.

     Also with the new school year, districts across the state will be free from No Child Left Behind guidelines. Mississippi was granted a waiver from the federal law in exchange for adoption of the Common Core curriculum and other educational guidelines.

     Brookhaven and Lincoln County district leaders say they are awaiting guidance on what the waiver actually means, but that they are moving ahead with implementing the core curriculum. The core curriculum is a set of standards agreed to by the 50 states, District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

     The standards are designed to ensure students have the necessary skills to enter the workplace or college after graduation. Key goals are set for reading, writing, mathematics and other areas such as speaking and listening, vocabulary and media/technology.

     To the layperson, it sounds a lot like the “reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic” that undergirded our schools at their beginning and ensured that an education prepared students for the next stage in life. It remains to be seen how the new standards will actually play out though.

      Brookhaven leaders said they have fully implemented the core in kindergarten through 12th grades. Lincoln County has fully implemented the system in kindergarten through second grades and partially so in grades three through eight.

     A state Department of Education guideline calls for full implementation by the 2013-14 school year.

     Whether students and parents dread or look forward to the start of a new school year, the reality is that start will soon be happening later in the year.

     Under another new law passed by lawmakers this year and which goes into effect with the 2014-15 school year, the start of school will no longer happen before the third Monday in August. Supporters of the law said it would help boost tourism in the state during the summer months and save on building cooling costs.

     The later date will mean a few more weeks for students to enjoy the late summer months. However, with schools required to be in session a certain number of days, the later start will also mean a later finish, possibly in mid-June.

     For now, though, and for this week in particular, the excitement of the start of a new year will be foremost in the minds of everyone involved.