SARALAND, Ala. (WALA) – While some of the little Spartans rode the bus to school Friday morning, others were driven by their parents. Dr. Brent Harrison, superintendent of Saraland City Schools, helped with the carpool and made sure the students got to school safely.

“We had an excellent first day,” said Dr. Harrison. “We’re battling some internet issues throughout the city and, I think, this part of the state. But other than that, the first day was a great success.”

On Wednesday, parents of Saraland Elementary students received this letter outlining some updated protocols.

Most of the new policies concern technology. For example, smartwatches are not allowed at school this year.

“A big part of it, of course, is that with young and younger students, any distraction has the potential to have a negative impact on their learning,” Dr. Harrison adds. “So if we limit that – if we limit those kinds of distractions, hopefully we’ll see an effect and get better test scores. They’re already doing a great job. We know they can do a little bit better.”

Fourth and fifth grade teachers now also collect students’ cell phones at the beginning of the day. They are placed in a locked box and returned at the end of class.

Jason Williams has a daughter who is in fourth grade.

“It’s good – as far as distraction goes – it keeps the kids focused in the classroom,” Williams said.

It’s especially important to stay hydrated this time of year, but the school system is implementing a new water bottle rule that requires students to use only clear water bottles that contain ONLY water.

“The clear water bottle regulations should emphasize the fact that drinking water is good for you, not sports drinks, energy drinks and the like,” explains Dr. Harrison.

In addition, the district increased meal prices by 30 cents in response to inflation and rising costs.

Saraland parents will soon be able to ride in style, too, with a personalized school car pass. However, the district needs 1,000 parents to sign up to receive the pass. It’s free for the first year. After that, it costs $50 a year, and the funds go to the Saraland Foundation, which supports the schools.

To sign up, you can visit one of the schools and fill out this form or contact them for more information. Once the thousand parents needed are together, everyone will receive a notification from the DMV that they can pick up their new license plate.

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