Nearly 11,000 kids — plus all the teachers and staff, of course — will head back to school this week for the 2012-13 year for the Lawrence public schools.

This year is the fourth for Superintendent Rick Doll, the first for assistant superintendent for teaching and learning Adam Holden and the first that full-day kindergarten will be available in all schools.

Sixth-graders will start school for a morning half-day on Tuesday and ninth-graders for a morning half-day on Wednesday.

Students in grades one through eight return to school Wednesday, and all high school students return Thursday. Kindergartners return on Thursday or Friday, based on alphabetization of last name.

Everyone will be in school by Monday, Aug. 20.