MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Thursday is the first day of school for the Manatee County School District, and the new superintendent, Jason Wysong, wants parents at home to know a few priorities heading into the school year.

Wysong was sworn in as Manatee’s new superintendent over the summer.

In the classroom, he says he wants teachers to focus on literacy — everyday, he wants students to be reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Wysong says practicing these skills every day can help with communication, which he says will lead to long-term success in the future.

But aside from curriculum, he says the top priority is safety and security.

During the last school year at Parrish Community High School, there were several bomb and gun threats, that turned out to be unfounded, and resulted in lockdowns and some student arrests.

Going into this year, superintendent Wysong says that the school board is investing in several technology and campus projects to enhance security.

“Safety is always our No. 1 priority,” Wysong said. “We focus on teaching students those routines around student safety and campus security. And once we’ve done that, we’re jumping right into literacy instruction, reading and writing every single day.”