NATCHEZ — The lack of tears in the elementary halls of Cathedral School and Trinity Episcopal Day School Wednesday was one way to gauge a successful first day of school.

“I didn’t see one crying kid this morning,” Trinity Head of School Les Hegwood said. “I think that just shows we’ve got kids who love school and are really glad to be back.”

Students at both schools returned to class Wednesday with an overall excited demeanor to be back in the classroom, Cathedral Elementary School Principal Shannon Bland said.

“It was a great beginning to the school year,” Bland said. “I think some of the parents were more emotional than a lot of the students.

“The parents didn’t want to say goodbye.”

Cathedral welcomed 655 students Wednesday, which Chief Administrator Pat Sanguinetti said was fewer than last year’s enrollment numbers.

Wednesday’s numbers, however, are where Sanguinetti said he would like enrollment to stay.

“We have plenty of people on the waiting list, but we don’t want to take away learning opportunities from the kids who are here now,” Sanguinetti said. “I’d rather keep the class numbers low than have the classes grow larger.”

Two elementary school bathrooms and two high school bathrooms, a chemistry lab and a biology lab were renovated over the summer at Cathedral.

The work was done as part of a campaign that was launched in February to expand the school’s campus with a new middle school building, a new athletic field house facility, state-of-the-art science labs and refurbished restrooms.

“We’re glad to have it done,” Sanguinetti said. “We should be breaking ground on the other projects soon.”

Trinity welcomed 224 students Wednesday, a number Hegwood also said was lower than last year’s enrollment.

“That’s about what we expected,” he said.

Overall, Hegwood said the highlight of the first day of school at Trinity was to simply see students back in the classrooms.

“I get antsy when the students aren’t here in the building,” he said. “Everyone from faculty to students just seems really excited to be back and ready to start off this year.”

Adams County Christian School will welcome students today for the first day of school.

Schools in Concordia Parish will begin Friday.

Natchez-Adams School District will have its first day Aug. 19.