Lauderdale County Schools are back in session for the 2008-2009 school year.

"Our number one goal is for each student to have a successful and enjoyable year, and to offer them everything we can to make this educational experience one that will enable them to move on to the next grade and do even better," said Billy Burnham, principal of Northeast Middle School.

That's how most local educators seem to feel as Lauderdale County Schools reopened Thursday for the new school year.

After summer orientation to explain how to best make the transition from elementary school to middle school, nervous fifth graders joined the halls crowded with more than 700 other middle school students at Northeast.

Southeast Lauderdale High School was also busy Thursday morning. Principal Dwane Taylor said the staff is pushing school pride to help its more than 400 students feel good about where they go to school.

"We're a fairly small rural school, but I think that we're becoming to be known as a school that's well-rounded," Taylor said. "We put emphasis on the academic part as well as the athletics. We want them to be proud of our school and community. And we set high expectations, and they always meet them."

One day down; only 179 more to go.