CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than 130,000 students went back to school Monday in Charlotte. School bus delays and teacher vacancies top the list of concerns heading into this 2007-2008 school year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools needs about 150 more school bus drivers. Officials said the worst delays caused by the bus driver shortage will be during the afternoons. Some buses leaving Bailey Middle School will run 30 minutes late, a 35-minute delay could happen at Mountain Island Elementary School and students at Ranson Middle School may have to wait 45 minutes. The longest wait will be for students leaving Coulwood Middle School. Students boarding one bus there may have to wait 80 minutes.

Anson, Cabarrus and Catawba counties also need school bus drivers, along with Kannapolis City Schools.

CMS was short 84 teachers when classes returned on Monday. Some vacancies are in science, math and English as a second language.

These districts also started classes on Monday:

Anson County, Alexander County, Burke County, Cabarrus County, Caldwell County, Catawba County, Cleveland County, Gaston County, Iredell / Statesville, Kannapolis City Schools, Lincoln County, Mooresville, Newtown-Conover Schools, Richmond County, Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Stanly County and Union County.

Anson County schools opened a new technology school for about 60 students on Monday.

Alexander County students face a new anti-drug policy adopted in July. Students who drive or are in after-school activities or sports are subject to random drug and alcohol tests.

A new freshman academy opens in Kannapolis this year at A.L. Brown High School.

Lincoln County students have a new middle school. North Lincoln Middle school will replace Pumpkin Center Middle.

Cabarrus County also has the new Hickory Ridge High School.

Catawba County students too will see some changes this year. The new Catawba Elementary opens to students on Hudson Chapel Road. The old building was converted into the Catawba Rosewald Education Center. t has an alternative school and a newcomer's center to help Spanish-speaking parents. The district is also using lunch.com where parents can pre-pay for their children's lunch online and track what they are eating.

Quick facts about C.M.S.:
- 137,000 students went back to class Monday
- that's 5,200 more students than the 2006-2007 school year
- school buses will drive more than 1,200 routes.