Students in Columbia back in school

Tuesday is the first day of the 2015-16 school year for Columbia Public Schools. Students in grades 1-12 had the first day of classes Tuesday; kindergarten students won’t begin until Thursday.

It was also the first school day for the new bus company, Student Transportation of America. STA replaces First Student as the main transportation provider for the district.For the company’s first day, there were only a couple minor hiccups Michelle Baumstark with Columbia Public Schools said.

“We had an accidental phone call that went out today as we were trying to make sure that we got new numbers loaded into the system,” Baumstark said. “That was something that happened on the part of the school district. So we’re working on making sure that we get those glitches worked out.”

A number of students showed up on the first day that were not enrolled causing some drop off times after school to be delayed. This week, administrators will work to resolve any issues related to class size or transportation.

Pick-up time was a major headache for many parents at Mill Creek Elementary and other schools. Cars were lined down Sinclair and traffic backed up on Nifong Boulevard.

Tuesday was also the first day for the new Eliot Battle Elementary School. About 420 students attended the school Tuesday.

It sits next to Muriel Battle High School, which is in its third year of operation. The Battles were well-known educators in the district for many years.

It is part of a 10 year plan to accommodate the growing enrollment numbers. This is the first of four elementary schools that will be built around the city.

This school year, nearly 18,400 students are enrolled in Columbia Public Schools, according to Baumstark. That is 215 more students than last school year.

Columbia and Jefferson City police are using grants to pay for overtime to enforce speed zones near schools starting this week.