LIBERTY, Miss. - Amite County residents are getting ready for the new school year that starts Wednesday.

Parents and teachers spoke to WBRZ about the things that they are working on heading into the new year. 

For many, it's sleep schedules for their children after the long summer hours. 

"During the summer we kind of let them just stay up, have fun, let them be a kid, and now that school's getting closer, it's time to get back on that bedtime schedule so they can get their sleep and get ready for school in the morning," Nicholas Call, a father of three, said.

Jewell Bowlin is a grandmother, and her grandson is going into the sixth grade. She said she is just trying to keep him on a routine.

"Well, it's hard to get him to go to bed on time now, but he's doing okay. He's getting acclimated to it," Bowlin said.

The Amite County School District will welcome just under 900 students across elementary, junior high and high schools. It also has a career and technical complex where students can study topics as diverse as culinary arts, robotics and collision repair.

Stanley McDowell has been a teacher for 30 years and says his advice to parents is to work with your children at home constantly. 

"Working with your children, ask them how things are going at school, what problems they have, if they have problems, identify them earlier and don't wait until it's too late," McDowell said.

McDowell said this school year may bring up safety concerns, but the schools are preparing to ensure the safety of students.

"We have two resource officers, we have metal detectors, and you also have teachers who are very visual and observant," McDowell said. 

Call said it's nice to know that there is someone who can step in and intervene in case something bad does happen. 

This will be the second year in which students will have to have clear or mesh backpacks. The district adopted the policy last year as a means to keep students safe.

"We're having to get clear book sacks because they don't want kids bringing weapons, so that's been a little scary," Call said. "To me, that's an invasion of privacy, but I get it due to the stuff that has happened at other schools, which is a shame, but it happens."

To get a jump on the new year, the high school's volleyball team has its first match Monday night and its football team opens the season Aug. 29.