Thousands head back to school in Sonoma County

The sky to seemed to recognize summer vacation was over early Wednesday morning as it released a gentle drizzle on about 33,000 Sonoma County kids returning to school.

Around Santa Rosa, crossing guards in neon yellow vests stood out against the gray skies as they directed parents with umbrellas and children in fire engine red rain slickers and polka dotted hoodies across the street.

Wednesday marks the biggest back-to-school day this year, with 23 of 40 county school districts returning. Santa Rosa City Schools alone welcomes back around 16,500 kids.

Altogether, more than three-quarters of Sonoma County schools return this week, with school-bound cars and buses crowding roadways. By the end of next week, when the last four districts return, local roadways will have seen a 15 to 20 percent surge in traffic as parents and school buses tote more than 70,000 kids to school.

“It’s such a day of mixed emotion for parents,” said Santa Rosa City Schools Superintendent Socorro Shiels. “It’s a little bit of anxiety, and a little bit of hope and optimism.” She planned to travel to schools around the district to meet parents and help where needed.

“We want to let (families) know we missed them, and that we’re excited to begin another year.”

At Steele Lane Elementary, two young boys in matching Mickey Mouse hoodies headed toward the school hand-in-hand with their parents, Kelly and Keith Hoffman.

“I’m going to miss my brother,” said Jake Hoffman, 3, in a small voice. Seth Hoffman, 5, was starting kindergarten.

“It makes me want to cry,” his mom said, looking down at her older son.

But Seth Hoffman was confident as he posed for his picture next to the welcome back sign outside his kindergarten classroom, giggling when his parents showed him the result on their smart phone. Then he headed into the classroom with his family in tow.

With their help, he found his cubby and sat down at a table to work on the morning project: playing with damp, shapeable sand.

“You can go now,” he told his parents as he selected a purple, truck-shaped toy and pressed it into the sand.

Then he hugged them and his teary-eyed little brother goodbye.

“We’ll see you at two,” his mother promised. As she headed for the door, she sighed deeply and said, “Oh, it’s such a big day.”

You can reach Staff Writer Jamie Hansen at 521-5205 or jamie.hansen@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jamiehansen.