ST. JOSEPH COUNTY -- It was a summer that would go down in the record books -- multiple days over 100 degrees and weeklong spans without any rain whatsoever. But that summer vacation wraps up Wednesday for most kids in the South Bend area as Penn-Harris-Madison, South Bend and Concord Schools resume classes.
St. Joseph County Police are reminding drivers that they will be stepping up their patrolling efforts around select area schools throughout the week.
All summer, those flashing school zone lights have been dim. But Wednesday morning, normal school zone laws are in effect once again. Remember, most school zones in our area are between a speed limit of 20 and 25 miles per hour when lights are flashing.
It's also a good time to freshen your memory on what to do when you're driving near a school bus. Remember: As you drive past a bus, slow down and obey the stop arm when the lights begin to flash.
Of course, there are several schools that have already been in session for quite a few days now. Some of those districts include: Warsaw Schools, Elkhart Community Schools, Oregon-Davis and LaPorte Schools.
And there's more than first-day-of-school jitters for administration of the South Bend Community School Corporation.
One week ago, a TV ad hit airwaves in South Bend that's trying to spread the word about what one of the area's largest school districts has to offer.
The district allocated between $10,000 and $30,000 this school year for the ad campaign.
Last year, the district lost hundreds of students to private schools because of the state's new voucher program.
And South Bend Superintendent Carole Schmidt says the district gets a bad reputation. This campaign is meant to combat that.
"To know that we have because of our size, we can offer a very comprehensive program from arts to high academics opportunities to athletics, community service, to gifted and talented," Schmidt said. "We have got the range...and it is our size that provides us the opportunity to do that."
Depending on how this first phase goes, the district may roll out advertising on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter.
