The first day of school always brings with it an excitement that never seems to get old, Denton Superintendent Ray Braswell said.

“The first day of school is unique … and it’s always exciting,” he said. “I always look forward to the first day of school. It’s walking into the building and seeing the excitement of the kids and the staff.

“There is a lot of excitement that goes into the first day of school, from hugs and cheers to tears because for some, this is their first [day] and they’ve never done this before.”

Today marks a day that Braswell describes as both frightening and exciting. Area school districts including Denton are welcoming students today for the first classes of the 2010-11 year.

Classes for Denton students will begin 10 to 15 minutes earlier this fall, with elementary school starting at 7:50 a.m., middle school at 8:20 a.m. and high school at 8:50 a.m.

Candy Turner, a Denton mother of four — one elementary student, one in middle school and two in high school — said her family approaches the first day of class with mixed emotions.

“We are ready for friends, school activities and high school football. We are not looking forward to waking up early and all the homework,” she wrote, in response to questions posed to residents about their thoughts on the first day of school.

Pilot Point resident Julie McDowell, who’s sending her youngest child to kindergarten today, said it’s a moment she’s dreaded since finding out she was pregnant with her son.

“Having a baby late in life has been the best experience, and I have enjoyed every minute except this one,” she wrote. “I know this is the next step in his life, and I am happy for him, but it still makes me sad.”

Incoming freshmen attending orientation at Denton High School last Friday said they were both excited and nervous. The new school year came too fast, freshman John Martinez said, but it’s something he can’t avoid.

“It’s just another stepping stone to who I need to be,” he said. “You have to go through it. There’s no way around it, so I just embrace it.”

After experiencing nearly 32 first days of school with the Denton school district, Braswell said he still gets anxious when they roll around.

“I wake up every year with nervous energy,” he said. “I want the first day for every child to be a successful experience.”

The Denton school district is expecting 23,000 students at its campuses.

Officials say the district’s earlier start times will save transportation and bus acquisition costs, improve transportation efficiency and allow the district to deactivate buses not powered by alternative fuels.

Denton County sheriff’s deputies say that they will be out patrolling schools in unincorporated areas beginning today, looking for speeders and cellphone users in school zones.

According to a news release, officers will concentrate on Blanton, Providence, Monaco and E.P. Rayzor elementaries and Northwest School District schools at dropoff and pick-up times.

Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Caley said deputies have new radar display units and will be enforcing speed limits that drop to 20 miles per hour during school arrival and departure times.

They also will be watching for drivers using cellphones in the school zones, Caley said.

“Drivers usually need a period of adjustment until they get used to the fact that summer’s over and the kids are back in school,” Caley said. “Our main focus will be to ensure traffic compliance for the safety of the students, and paying complete attention to the road is probably the most important aspect of driver safety.”

This 2010-11 session marks the inaugural year for Cross Oaks Elementary School and the Popo and Lupe Gonzalez School for Young Children, Denton’s two newest schools. Both campuses, along with Paloma Creek Elementary School and the Ann Windle School for Young Children, will pilot a state-funded pre-kindergarten program for 3-year-olds and a tuition-based preschool academy for 3-and-4-year olds.

Also new this year is an admissions policy revision that allows out-of-district students to attend Denton schools tuition-free, a move that school officials say will generate additional district revenue.

Secondary students in Denton this year will be allowed to use personal Web-enabled devices, such as laptop computers and smart phones, in the classroom for academic purposes only at the teacher’s discretion.

The revision to the district’s acceptable use policy change allows those with personal Web-enabled devices to access the district’s wireless Internet network. Personal devices would not have access to district drives or network folders, as district machines do, school officials said. Students without personal Web-enabled devices will have access to district devices, should the curriculum require their use.

Staff writer Donna Fielder contributed to this article.

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com.