The first day of school for area students is Monday, and teachers are back in their classrooms preparing for the start of the new school year.

Washington, Mid-Prairie, Highland, Columbus, Keota, WACO, Winfield-Mt. Union, Sigourney, and Lone Tree Community School Districts, as well as Hillcrest Academy, are set to kick off the new school year for K-12 students on August 25.

State law established August 23 as the first day classes can begin, and with that date falling on a Saturday, most districts decided to start as soon as possible on the following Monday. First days could begin coming earlier, though, as an effort was made by state legislators in the 2025 session to set the earliest first day of school as the second-to-last Monday in August, which in 2025 would have been August 18.

Some districts will have an early dismissal on Monday, including Sigourney at 1:30 p.m. and Lone Tree at 1 p.m.

For Winfield-Mt. Union, which generally has a four-day week Tuesday through Friday, August 25 will be one of nine Mondays students spend in the classroom