An estimated 10,350 students and more than 1,500 employees in Bryan County are headed back to school on Tuesday when the bells ring to signal the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

Among the things to know:

• Officials and law enforcement urge drivers to use caution around school zones, bus stops and respect school buses in the mornings and afternoons.

• The biggest change for students and their parents is the federal government is no longer paying for free meals for all students, so students who don’t qualify for free meals will be charged $2.25 for breakfast and $3.25 for lunch. School officials urge parents to check eligibility requirements at www.bryancountyschools.org/ page/food-service.

The system has grown by approximately 2,650 students over the past decade and its graduation rate has increased from 75.1 percent to 93.4 percent, according to school officials.

Similarly, the budget has gone from $52 million in 2012-2013 to $100 million this year, though the school board’s current millage rate of 15.075 is lower than the 15.537 it was in 2012-2013.

The system imposes a 1.5 mill levy on property owners to pay for $100 million in capital improvement bonds approved in 2017.