School buses will start rolling again on Monday, as public school students return to classes in Gloucester and Mathews counties for the start of the 2026-2027 school year. School seems to be starting especially early this year, although in reality it’s only one day ahead on the calendar. Last year, the first day of class was Monday, Aug. 25, 2025; this year, it’s Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. What probably makes this year feel so early is that students in 2025 were only in the classroom for a few days when the Labor Day weekend (and its accompanying four-day weekend break) arrived. This year, students and teachers will have a full week ahead of them in the classroom before Labor Day finally arrives on Monday, Sept. 7 (just a quirk of the calendar: last year’s Labor Day was Monday, Sept. 1). Probably the biggest change, at least in Mathews, is that the school division will be moving from three schools to two, with the elimination of Thomas Hunter Middle School (now renamed the Thomas Hunter Ed...