School buses, a familiar sight, will return to the roads of Gloucester and Mathews counties on Monday morning as the two school divisions begin the 2022-2023 school year with hopes of recovering from two years of pandemic-interrupted learning.

In Gloucester

A projected total of 4,773 students will walk through the doors Monday morning at Gloucester County Public Schools. Dr. Walter Clemons, division superintendent, said he is looking forward to “returning to a greater sense of normalcy” for this school year.

Though he realizes that the schools are “still navigating through the pandemic,” Clemons is hopeful that absenteeism will be lower, family participation will increase and that there will be more community involvement. He said that the schools will still be focused on “keeping everyone healthy.”

This school year, GCPS will also be focusing on its capital improvement projects. The new transportation facility, located on T.C. Walker Road near Page Middle School, is still ...