Many students are counting down the days until they're back behind a desk, but in Augusta County, that day is Tuesday.

Augusta County Schools start up Monday morning, and teachers and principals are concerned about the economy's effects on student learning.

Superintendent Dr. Gary McQuain says this year will be unique in how they approach school spending. He says they may compensate for the slowing economy by keeping field trips and athletic games closer to home.

For example, the Fort Defiance Cross Country Team is cutting their typical traveling of 1,300 miles down to just 400.

"So we've been very careful to sort of, gauge what we can buy now, and what we can hold off on, in case there are future cuts. Obviously, if we had cuts, we wouldn't want to lose staff if at all possible. That's the strength of our school system, and it's the people we have working for us," says McQuain.

McQuain says this year's big focus will be in literacy. They believe in early intervention when it comes to those students struggling to read.