With the upcoming school year on the horizon, Frederick County Public School administrators are gearing up for a great year.

They're focusing on some key initiatives to ease budget concerns and help educate students. Frederick County Public Schools are doing what they can to battle the economic slowdown.

11,000 miles a day is the grand total for FCPS buses and vehicles. The school system uses software and alternate transportation forms to get information from parents and students. That maximizes bus routes in the county.

"We're facing the same challenges that everyone is facing today, in terms of energy costs, and certainly transportation is among one of the most visible costs today," says Patricia Taylor, Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools.

Administrators are also exploring options to reduce travel expenses for field trips and sports teams. An example? Inviting guest speakers to schools, and paying for their travel expenses rather than busing students to a presentation.

"We're working very hard to make certain that we use those miles effectively and efficiently, when we run buses or any of our other vehicles," says Taylor.

With some businesses switching to four day work weeks, Taylor says the school district will not shorten their weeks at all. They want to give students a full five days per week to soak in material, and give educators plenty of time to assess students' progress.

"I think many of us had the experience of attempting to learn things in a short period of time, and not remembering it afterward. That effect simply can be exasperated by a four day week," says Taylor.

In two weeks, administrators from the school system will meet to finalize their plans and goals for the upcoming school year.

The school system is also encouraging parents and family members to invest time in their students. They say taking time to talk about how school is going, and being involved with the homework process is very important.

Frederick County Public Schools are back in session on August 27th.