Roger Logan sets up a computer in a classroom at the Cherokee Community Learning Center. District and school staff were still installing computers and unpacking boxes in the school as classes resumed Monday. Angela Tennyson cried softly before handing over the care of her triplets to Northwest Elementary kindergarten teachers.

Waylon, Weston and Rebecca Tennyson were among 8,850 students in county schools on the first day for students on the traditional 9-month calendar. The excitement of a new school year Monday morning was tempered by the reality of changes in schools and young children taking their first steps towards independence.

A veteran educator of 35 years, Northwest Elementary Principal Cathy Bloise is used to tears being shed by parents of kindergarten and first grade students.

This doesn't make the transition any easier.

"We had a parent of triplets who cried when she left her children at kindergarten. She said she didn't think it was going to be this hard to leave them," Bloise said. "We've had twins at our school before — now it's up to triplets. Our kindergarten students usually wear name tags so it will be easier for the teachers to identify their students."

Northwest Elementary physical education teacher Salli Petty leads kindergarten students Monday through a musical game to test their knowledge of directions. Enrollment was down in county schools from last year's first day count when 8,958 students were enrolled. The district had 8,710 students enrolled on the first day of the 2006-2007 school year.

Schools will see their enrollment figures climb through the Labor Day weekend with the enrollment of out-of-state students and the start of 4-year-old kindergarten programs in county elementary schools.

"We had a really good opening to the school year," Cherokee County School Superintendent Dr. Bill James said. "Our staffs were well-prepared and had a good plan for opening schools. I think things have gone extremely well, particularly with the opening of new school buildings."

The district opened a new Cherokee Community Learning Center and a Gaffney High ninth grade addition. While there were no reports of traffic problems, staff members did have to make some adjustments in the new school buildings.

The bell and intercom systems did not work Monday until 1:30 p.m. in the Gaffney High ninth grade addition. Teachers kept time in their classrooms until construction workers could link the bell system in the new addition with the main high school.

There were 656 students in the Gaffney High ninth grade addition on the first day of school. A cafeteria area allowed school administrators to run two lunch shifts in a multipurpose room in the ninth grade addition.

Gaffney High Principal Marlene Davis said the school had a smooth opening, particularly with parents and students making the adjustment to a new school building and traffic patterns.

"It went very well today," Davis said. "We want ninth grade students to be successful in their new school. If we can get students past the ninth grade, studies have shown these students have a good chance of making it all the way through high school."

Furniture and computers were still waiting to be unpacked at Cherokee Community Learning Center. The district received permission Aug. 11 to begin moving into the $7 million school building.

High school students were speechless as they exited the bus Monday morning to start their day in the alternative program.

"The students were just wowed when they saw how nice the building looks," said James Davis, a teacher in the high school alternative program. "We had a great opening to school. I think everyone is really looking forward to being back in school again."