First day of school in Escambia County, Alabama

ATMORE, Ala. (WKRG) — It’s the first day of school in Escambia County, Alabama, and schools across the district are trying to make more families invested in education.

Escambia County High School has a new principal and a new way to get parents and students engaged. Monday, teachers were preparing their classrooms and lesson plans.

This year, they have a new principal LaTonya Gill. She said they want to improve attendance, academics, graduation rates and career readiness.

One new tool is the pride reward card. Students get points for good grades, parental involvement, discipline and attendance. That can be redeemed for different benefits during the school year.

"Pride is the cornerstone of our school this year," Gill said. "It will be the driving force for everything that we do, so we should help spike. Our attenda...