Final preparations were being made this week for Tuesday’s opening of the 2018-2019 school year in Gloucester and Mathews counties.

In Gloucester

Gloucester County Public Schools has 5,342 children enrolled for the 2018-2019 school year that begins Tuesday, according to assistant superintendent John Hutchinson.

“We’re ready. There’s excitement in the buildings,” Hutchinson said this week after making visits to school campuses. 

The division based its $67.1 million fiscal year 2019 budget on 5,200 students, but enrollment numbers tend to fluctuate throughout the academic year as students both enroll and withdraw.

The operating budget for the year is $59.7 million and holds raises of between 5.25 and 13.34 percent for teachers, depending on where they are on the salary scale. Support staff received pay hikes of 4 percent. The raises were effective last month.

GCPS has 35 new teachers this fall and a new school nurse. The division is still ...