Whether North County students like being taught or not, school will soon open. St. John the Evangelist School, in Hydes, opens Aug. 24. Our Lady of Grace School in Parkton opens Aug. 25, followed by Baltimore County public schools Aug. 31. The last to start is St. James Academy, which starts Sept. 9.

Here's what's new at each school:

Carroll Manor Elementary, a national Blue Ribbon school, will open with 306 students, fewer than last year and far less than its capacity of 362.

"The bad housing market has hit us," principal John Kroh said. "We're a great school with a dedicated staff, but it's all single houses here that are not selling."

Kroh said the school received three portable computer workstations on carts that can be shared by teachers. Some classrooms received a new coat of paint over the summer.

Jacksonville Elementary will open with about 570 students, higher than projected, but still far below its capacity of 637. It will have five second-grade classes, with four classes in the other grades.

Principal Debbie Glinowiecki said all of last year's classroom teachers are returning. The guidance department is starting a new character development program with a nautical theme called Citizen:Ship.

Enrollment at both Carroll Manor and Jacksonville may grow as they are eligible to receive transfer students from Halstead Academy in Towson. Under No Child Left Behind laws, students from Halstead had a choice to move based on their school's performance on statewide tests, said Lisa Williams, with the county school system's division of equity assurance. Transfer applications were due Aug. 18.

Fifth District Elementary, the smallest school in the school system's central area, will open with about 284 students, 10 above its capacity. It will have two classes of every grade, except second grade, where there will be three classrooms.

Many old floors in the building were replaced with new tiles, including the front lobby.

"We continue to be a well-performing school where every single teacher gives their all to every child," said principal Carole Quental.

Prettyboy Elementary, in Freeland, is bursting at the seams. It will have 22 homerooms for about 470 students. Its capacity is 398.

The school now has five portable classrooms: four behind the school and one in the teacher parking lot. Two were relocated from their spot near Middletown Road after parents complained about safety.

Prettyboy will open with six new teachers. It will have four classes in kindergarten, first, second and fifth grades. Grades three and four will have three classes each.

A new septic system has been completed, but the area will be off-limits to sports this fall so grass can grow. The parking lot nearest Bulls Sawmill Road will be lighted by two new lights.

Seventh District Elementary, in Parkton, which was named a Maryland Blue Ribbon school last year, will open with no staffing changes. Its enrollment will be about 400, 65 students under its capacity.

The school offers three classes at every grade level except second, where there are two classes.

"Seventh is a great school and the teachers are committed to moving the students forward," said principal Leslie Brooks.

Sparks Elementary will open 135 students over capacity, with 545 students, said principal Sharon Kearney. Sparks will offer four classes at every grade level.

"We've had a large influx of students from private and parochial schools," she said. "Every room in the building is being used."

Sparks students are also housed in four portable classrooms behind the school.

Sparks will hold celebrations to mark two milestones. The original Sparks School, destroyed in a 1995 fire, would turn 100 this year. The new school opened 10 years ago. Plans are still being made for the celebration to which the public is invited on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hereford Middle School, on Corbett Road, has an expected enrollment of 1,000 students, which is about the same as last year, said principal Cathy Walrod.

Students will notice three veteran teachers missing: social studies teacher Diane Diven is now teaching at Towson University, and social studies teacher Tom Medwin and his wife, Carmen Medwin, world languages department chair, have retired.

Walrod said the school's Chinese language program has expanded. Its full-time teacher offers classes to both seventh- and eighth-graders.

Sixth-graders will take a computer course that includes a component on Internet safety, she said.

At Hereford High School, principal John Bereska can focus on duties other than seniors passing the state's High School Assessments. He said every one of the school's 360 seniors passed the tests in algebra, government, English and biology.

He'll keep busy with plans for a major addition. Construction won't begin until after the upcoming school year, he said, for the addition that will include a new cafeteria, science classrooms, dance studio and theater classroom.

Hereford will most likely open with 1,400 students, about the same as last year and well above its 1,230 capacity. Students are housed in eight portable classrooms.

Bereska said the school's Chinese program continues to do well and will again sponsor an exchange program. The agriscience program has grown and it has added a part-time teacher.

Our Lady of Grace, a Catholic school in Parkton, will open up a new pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds, said principal Byrdie Ricketts. Enrollment is expected to be 210 students from pre-school through eighth-grade.

She said the school is increasing its Spanish language instruction. Sixth-graders will take it twice a week, while seventh- and eighth-graders will "habla Espanol" three times a week. Staffing in speech and language as well as guidance has increased as well.

The parish has a new director of Religious Education. Jack Buchner will hold staff development workshops for teachers and staff to extend their knowledge of the Catholic faith, Ricketts said.

St. James Academy, a private school in Monkton that serves kindergarten through eighth grades, launches a new Web site on Sept. 9. Students will be able to log on to find their daily homework assignments as well as long-term projects, said Betty Legenhausen, head of school.

"We have 350 students and those numbers are stable and strong," she said. "All of our faculty and administrators are returning, so that's stable, too."

This year's seventh graders will receive laptop computers, just like last year's seventh-grade students. Legenhausen said each student pays a $200 refundable fee for a computer. The school's parent group has paid for the program through fundraising efforts, she said.

St. John the Evangelist School, a Catholic school on Long Green Pike in Hydes, will open on Aug. 24 with 235 students. Although that is below capacity, there are 29 new students this year. The school's youngest students are in the prekindergarten 3-year-old class, and its oldest are in eighth grade.

"We're thrilled to see so many new students," said principal Jean Delcher.

Delcher said the school's computer lab will move to a larger space on the first floor and will be upgraded with additional computers and an interactive whiteboard.

Students are going to help raise money for the upgrades by holding a Race for Education in October. They will solicit pledges from their families for the students to walk or run a lap on the school grounds.

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