Monday marks the first day of school for Butler County students, and it should be an exciting year for the local school system.

There is a superintendent in place who wants to be here and who is anxious to see what the system can accomplish under his leadership.

There are new principals throughout the system, from Georgiana's Keith York, to Greenville Middle School's Jai Hill and Greenville Elementary School's Claire Jones.

York had a few weeks at the end of the last school year to acclimate to the top school position, but it was still a year in the shadow and untimely death of Roland Pettie.

Now, he will have his first full year alone, and he is anxious to do the job right.

Hill replaces longtime principal Don Yancey, who retired.

Hill's challenge will be changing from the high school-aged children he has worked with for several years to the middle school-aged children.

That is an age where everything is unpredictable.

But he has already made changes that should be for the better.

It never hurts to bring in someone new who will have fresh ideas and thoughts.

Then you have Greenville Elementary School that pretty much was run from the central office last year while the whole Joseph West saga played out.

West is now at the central office and working with the career education program.

This is Claire Jones' first principalship.

A few minutes with her last week showed that she has a firm grasp on what needs to be done, and the hard decisions aren't stopping her.

We would like to add that we would like to see Jones remain at the school for several years.

One thing that is sorely needed there is some stability in the school's leadership.

We understand retirement, transfers and resignations do occur, but at this age, children need to know and be familiar with their principal.

So, parents, get them ready, for it is time to begin another school year, another quest for knowledge, and that will be the greatest quest of all for your school-aged children.