Milford drivers may need a reminder about how to respond to school buses that are stopping to pick up or let off children. This week, a man called police to complain after noticing cars had not stopped for a bus that stops on Depot Street. Here are some rules, according to the state of Massachusetts: Give the bus some room. State law requires drivers to stay 100 feet behind the bus at all times. Yellow flashing lights signal the bus is slowing down to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended arm indicate the bus is stopped to let children on or off. By this point, your vehicle needs to be at…

Everything is just a little brighter on the first day of school, and for thousands of students in Milford, Wednesday was the day. A swarm of elementary school children, some of them toting backpacks almost as large as their frames, walked into Memorial Elementary School, or jumped off the buses, excited to start a new year. Dajia DeJesus, 6, started the first grade at the elementary school. She was excited, her father said, because for the first time she'll be walking to school. On the first day, she had a family escort. Her father, Benjamin, mother, Lisa and younger brother all walked with …

Technically, Meg Belsito is a new face in a new position as a new year begins for the Milford Public Schools. Her position, director of special education, was created over the summer after the departure of former Assistant Superintendent Barbara J. Cataldo. But Belsito is hardly a stranger to Milford's schools or the specific challenges facing the special education department. "This is my 17th year in the district," Belsito said last week, as she took a break from preparing for the new school year, scheduled to begin Wednesday. During that time, she's been a classroom teacher, a special …

Milford elementary school students will begin classes next week 10 minutes later than they did last school year, a tweak in schedule meant to accommodate buses that are getting stuck in afternoon traffic. Like most school systems, Milford has buses that take the children to and from school in consecutive waves: high school, then middle, then elementary school. The problem detected last year: for some routes, afternoon traffic in Milford has resulted in delays in the afternoon pickup of elementary children. "It was really more the end of the day," said Superintendent Robert Tremblay. So, with …

Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School reopened this week, initially for a freshman orientation Wednesday, and for all students Thursday. The regional high school serves 13 towns, including Milford, which sent 38 freshmen this year, according to a high school spokeswoman. More than 700 students in the member towns applied for seats in the freshman class. Just 300 were accepted. Since 1997, Valley Tech has had a longer school year than traditional high schools, with 193 days of instruction. Milford public schools reopen on Aug. 31.

School reopens Thursday for students attending Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School. The voc-tech high school has a longer school year than most — 193 days as opposed to the usual 180 — which requires a slightly shortened summer. Freshmen, including 38 from Milford, were already in school Wednesday, attending an all-day orientation. A picnic for the incoming freshmen and their parents was held at the Upton school on Tuesday afternoon. Milford public schools reopen Aug. 31.