The school bells rang Wednesday morning, and the Liberty County School System is expecting more than 11,000 students in its classes.

For interim superintendent Debra Frazier, Wednesday marked the start of her 41st year in education.

“I am very excited for the school year to begin,” she said. “It is excitement in the air for these young people.”

The number of students in Liberty County Schools has been growing. There were approximately 10,800 students in the school system at the end of April.

“Enrollment has been growing, and that is good thing for Liberty County,” Frazier said.

She said the schools also will continue to stress attendance.

“We have done a lot to motivate and try to promote and engage a learning environment so our scholars can be present all day, every day,” Frazier added.

Also on tap for the schools this year is an expanded school resource officer program. The school system and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office have agreed to have 14 sheriff’s deputies, trained as SROs, with a lieutenant and a sergeant as SRO program supervisors.

SROs will be in place at both county high schools and all three middle schools and Chief Deputy Al Hagan told county commissioners Tuesday night the school system believes the SROs have been a benefit.

“It’s an awesome program,” he said.

The school system is paying the sheriff ’s office $1.9 million for the officers, all but two vehicles, and their equipment. The LCSO is getting deputies to be trained specifically for SRO duty.

“I think that is a very good gesture for the school system,” Frazier said. “As a parent, that should tell them how important safety is for us. I know it’s a large dollar amount. But there is no price tag for safety.”