Labor Day may be a month away, but it’s nearly school time around town.

Brookhaven schools will start the fall semester this Thursday, so those heading for work that morning need to be aware of possible stops for school buses along the way. Also keep an eye out for youthful drivers who haven’t been on the roads that early in the day up until now.

Yellow buses also will be taking to the roads in the county a week from Monday as Bogue Chitto, Enterprise, Loyd Star and West Lincoln begin classes. Brookhaven Academy begins its fall semester on Monday, Aug. 11, too.

In addition to taking care to stop for school buses loading and unloading children, drivers need to pay more attention than ever to the slower speed limits around schools. Children chasing a runaway ball can easily dart out unexpectedly. Those reduced-speed-for-school zone signs are there for good reason.

Besides being especially safety conscious for our kids’ sake, another thing we can do on their behalf is to say an extra prayer for them, their teachers and administrators and the community as a whole.

That’s exactly what Mission Mississippi of Brookhaven is doing as a group later today. The Back-to-School Prayer Rally begins at 6 p.m. in Railroad Park where Cherokee Street intersects the railroad tracks.

If you can’t be at the park this evening, you can still join them in prayer wherever you are. Let’s have a safe and productive school year.