If yellow school buses rambling the roads of Cobb County with drivers practicing their new routes isn't reminder enough, it's time to head back to school on Monday for Cobb students.

Marietta students return today. Cherokee kids got an early jump on the school year starting classes on Monday. Many Cherokee bus riders are fending off the early August heat by drinking bottled water on the trip, a concession by school officials until temperatures cool.

Teachers are setting up their classrooms and getting organized.

If you haven't already stocked up on school supplies and figured out your child's bus stop, now's the time to switch to school mode. Here's some helpful information.

COBB

> New students expected: 1,307 fewer than last year

> Total enrollment: 106,000, down from 107,307 last year

> Teachers: 715 new hires as of July 16

> Schools: 68 elementary, 25 middle, 16 high schools

> New schools opening: Allatoona High, Picketts Mill Elementary

> Transportation: No additional bus drivers hired

> Bus information: 678-594-8000

> Meals: 18.3 million lunches and 3 million breakfasts will be served

> Meal prices: Elementary breakfast, $1 (30 cents reduced); lunch, $1.60 (40 cents reduced); middle breakfast, $1 (30 cents reduced); lunch, $1.75 (40 cents reduced); high breakfast, $1 (30 cents reduced), lunch, $1.85 (40 cents reduced)

Parents will be able to access their child's lunch account at www.mealpayplus.com for balances and deposits. Prepayments can be made by check, credit card or direct deposit.

> School start and end times: Elementary, 7:50 a.m.-2:20 p.m. (Addison, Kemp, Mount Bethel, Pitner, 7:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m.; Rocky Mount, 7:45 a.m.-2:10 p.m.; Murdock, Mountain View, Garrison Mill and Tritt, 7:55 a.m.-2:25 p.m.); middle, 9:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m.; high, 8:25 a.m.- 3:25 p.m.

> FY 2008-09 budget: $948.1 million

CHEROKEE

> New students expected: 1,137, compared to 1,280 last year

> Total enrollment: 37,413, up from 36,276 last year

> Teachers: 181 new hires, 167 from Georgia, 14 from eight other states

> First-year teachers: 76

> Experienced teachers: 105

> Schools: 22 elementary, six middle, one seventh-grade satellite, five high schools

> New schools opening: Canton Elementary, Knox Elementary and Mill Creek Seventh-Grade Center

> Transportation: 18 additional bus drivers hired

> Bus information: 770-479-1871

> Meals: More than 5,448,441 breakfasts and lunches will be served.

> Meal prices: Elementary breakfast, $1 (30 cents reduced); elementary lunch, $1.65 (40 cents reduced); middle and high breakfast, $1 (30 cents reduced); middle and high lunch, $1.90 (40 cents reduced).

Parents will be able to access their child's lunch account at www.mealpayplus.com for balances and deposits. Prepayments can be made by check, credit card or direct deposit.

> School start and end times: Elementary, 7:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m. (Bascomb, Boston and Oak Grove 8:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m.); middle, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (8 a.m.-3 p.m. Booth); high, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Etowah, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.); Crossroads middle school / high school, 7:40 a.m.-2:02 p.m. and 8:38 a.m.-3 p.m.), Polaris Evening, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

> FY 2008-09 budget: $638.6 million

MARIETTA CITY

> New students expected: 96 more than last year

> Total enrollment: 8,065 projected, up from 7,969 last year

> Teachers: 83 hired, 26 from Georgia

> First-year teachers: 31 hired

> Experienced teachers: 52 hired

> Schools: Eight elementary, one middle, one sixth-grade school, one high, one alternative

> New schools opening: None

> Transportation: Eight additional drivers hired

> Bus information: 770-429-3110, Ext. 111, 112, 101, 100, 102

> Meals: More than 2.1 million breakfasts, lunches and snacks

> Meal prices: Elementary breakfast, free; lunch, $1.75 (40 cents reduced); middle and high breakfast, free; lunch, $1.85 (40 cents reduced).

> School start and end times: Elementary, 8:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m.; Marietta Center for Advanced Academics and Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Marietta Middle and Marietta High, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

> FY 2008-09 budget: $83.3 million