JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WGNO) — As Jefferson Parish students arrived Monday to start the new school year, they were met with smiling faces, many of them new.

"It's one thing when you kind of see, you know, the preparation gets in place to start the school year. But when the babies show up and you see the smiles on their faces, the smile on their parents' faces is just a good thing to see that they're excited about being back in our schools," said Superintendent James Gray.

Over the summer break, the parish school system made a major turnaround in teacher vacancies, going from close to 150 openings last year to fewer than 70 this year.

Chief Academic Officer Laura Roussel says that number is a great place to be in.

"We don't want any vacancies, but that at least equates to about one per

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