Gloucester County Public Schools welcomed 4,992 students to begin the 2018-2019 academic year Tuesday, which is 152 fewer than showed up on the first day of school last fall. School officials, as usual, expect the enrollment numbers to rise over the first two weeks of school.

Enrollment at Gloucester High School was at 1,593 Tuesday, with just 310 seniors showing up and 457 freshmen. In the middle schools, Page saw 537 students report while Peasley had 566.

Botetourt had the largest elementary enrollment at 589, with five classrooms serving each of the K-5 grade levels. Abingdon had 554 children enrolled, Bethel had 465, Achilles had 398 and Petsworth had 290.

Many school buses were late to school the first day, another usual occurrence, but division assistant superintendent John Hutchinson said all of the children got to school and back home safely. One school bus had to be towed because of a flat tire Tuesday morning.

Heat and rain have had major impacts to the start of school ye...