IBERVILLE — Teachers and support staff from across Iberville Parish gathered for a professional development conference just days before the start of the school year.

The event centered on a program called Capturing Kids' Hearts, which focuses on building relationships between educators and students.

"We start off with our kickoff for the new school year with Capturing Kids' Hearts, which is just a refresher for us to make sure that we are building relationships with students and making sure we are our best selves," said Danielle Primus, Iberville Elementary media specialist.

Star Academy, which was first introduced last school year, gives students hands-on, STEM-focused projects.

On the technology front, Meta smart glasses will no longer be allowed in schools this year to protect people's privacy.

Arrival and dismissal times are also changing at two schools in the district. For the 2026–2027 school year, East Iberville Elementary & High School will start at 7:35 a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m.

The schedule change is meant to provide more access to programs with limited resources, such as welding.