Back-to-School: After Delay, Schools Are In Session

It was one day later than initially scheduled but students and teachers will be back in the classrooms today as the Southington school district kicks off the 2011-12 school year.

After an assessment found no damage from Hurricane Irene and a day for the town to recover from any damage causing road closures - all roads are reopened according to police - the schools are powered up and ready to go.

As of Sunday night, two schools and the central offices were without power but it was restored on Monday morning at 10 a.m.

"It's time to get this thing going," said Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski. "We will be visiting each school today and wishing students a productive school year."

This is the first time in recent memory that schools have had a delay on opening day. Officials were unable to say when the last time this happened was.

School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. had made the decision Saturday night to give both parents and teachers time to plan for the impending storm. The storm caused some damage in Southington but struck coastline towns where some teachers live hard.

Be sure to check back in with Southington patch as we provide complete coverage of the first day of school.