Back-to-school time in WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's that time of year again to start packing the lunch boxes and book bags.

It's back to school Tuesday, for thousands of students across western New York and more than 8,000 students in the Ken-Ton School District.

Classes will begin at Kenmore West High School.

Business First ranked this district the 48th best in all of western New York.

The annual average attendance rate remained at 95 percent last school year.

There's going to more than 200 buses on the road Tuesday morning just for this district, so you can expect your morning commute to be a little slower Tuesday.

Tuesday's also the first day of school for students in Niagara Falls, Alden, Clarence and Williamsville.

Cheektowaga and Buffalo start Wednesday and Hamburg Schools head back Thursday.

Students have been off all summer, but the Ken Ton Schools have been busy all summer.

Ken Ton School District Spokesman Stefan Mychajliw joined News 4's Wake Up, Tuesday morning.

Mychajliw said, "Principals and teachers have been working throughout the summer on instructional improvement plans, setting the curriculum for the school year, the IT department was very busy installing 13,000 pieces of equipment, computers, projectors, smart boards, throughout the 13 schools in the district."

"Every middle school student will have a computer in their building," said Mychajliw. "So while the students were off for summer, faculty and our IT department were working awfully hard for this day, the first day of school."

Kenmore West High School Principal Karen Geelan also joined News 4's Wake Up.

Geelan said, "This year we have more ceiling projectors installed, as part of our projector project. And we have three brand new carts that will be going around. They're entire computer labs on carts that will move the labs to the teachers."

Kenmore West has been in the application process for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

Geelan said, "We're in the final stages right now and we're hoping by the end of the month we will be approved."

>> To learn more about what is happening at Ken Ton, watch the included videos for interviews with Stefan Mychajliw, Karen Geelan and Superintendent Mike Mondanaro.