Classes start up again next week, both at Northwest College and in Powell schools.

NWC students will return to classrooms at the college on Monday; Powell schools open to students again on Wednesday.

This year brings challenges to both.

Park County School District No. 1 trustees are charged this year with finding a replacement for school Superintendent Kevin Mitchell, who plans to resign in June 2017. Mitchell has been an excellent superintendent, and finding someone to fill his shoes won’t be an easy task.

Northwest College is operating under a significantly reduced budget, down by nearly $2.8 million — more than 10 percent of last year’s revenue — while enrollment likely will increase by about 4 percent. That means college leaders, faculty and employees must do more with less this year, and well into the foreseeable future.

Equally challenging, or perhaps even more difficult, is the fact that 19 longterm faculty members and other employees are not returning this year after taking advantage of the college’s special early retirement offer this spring.

Their absence, in addition to 21 retirements over the previous two years, will change the way the college feels, and the way it works. Adjusting to those new realities will present new challenges, and some changes won’t be easy to make.

“During the process of taking on the tough stuff, we will sometimes find ourselves homesick for a college that no longer exists,” NWC president Stefani Hicswa told college employees at a State of the College address Wednesday. “It no longer exists because we are changed. We must remind ourselves that there is nowhere to go back to. Yet, we cannot be fully strong and move forward until we heal from the pain of the past.”

But Hicswa said she believes the Northwest College community is up to the challenge.

“We are being proactive and deliberate as we transition these changes,” she told employees. “Our challenge this year is implementing all of the budget reductions, reshaping our expectations about prior services, and monitoring our expenditures going forward.

“I am committed to see Northwest College through this economic downturn,” Hicswa said. “I am not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Many parents and students also face challenges with the beginning of a new school year.

With that in mind, we offer several commonsense reminders:

• Drivers, please be extra cautious over the next few weeks and watch out for children who may be crossing or darting out into streets as they go to school. Also, be sure to watch for school buses.

• Students, take advantage of the opportunity you have for a quality education in some of the best schools in America. Doing so will place you on a path for future success, while failure to do so will almost surely lead to regrets.

• Parents, be aware that your children’s success in school depends, in part, on your support and involvement. Encourage them to apply themselves, make sure they do their homework, and communicate with their teachers when you notice a problem. Find ways to apply the things they are studying to activities at home.

• Get to know your children’s teachers, and work with them as partners in your children’s education. Attend open houses and parent-teacher conferences. Advocate for your children, but don’t make excuses for them.

• Talk to your kids about bullying. Make sure they understand the right way to treat their peers and when they should speak up if they see someone else being bullied. Encourage them to come to you if they are being bullied.

Regardless of the challenges ahead, parents and students can work with teachers and school leaders to make this a great school year.