Filed at 1:07 p.m. ET
RED LAKE, Minn. (AP) -- Students who missed weeks of school last spring after a deadly shooting returned to class Tuesday to start the academic year with new security measures in place.
Red Lake High School Principal Chris Dunshee said 272 students reported for classes in the morning.
About 300 students from the Red Lake Indian Reservation are eligible to attend the high school in this small town, which was torn apart in March when a student killed five schoolmates, a teacher and an unarmed guard at the school before taking his own life. Jeff Weise, 16, had earlier killed his grandfather and his grandfather's companion, as well.
Students first returned to school in mid-April, though as many as two-thirds of the student body stayed away for the rest of the school year. Classes were held in an older part of the school building -- away from the scene of the shootings -- and police were on scene.
School officials didn't worry about truancy then, but they spread out across the district this summer to encourage students to return.
The school unveiled new security measures last week, including three armed guards, surveillance cameras and new door locks.
On Tuesday, school officials were still working out kinks with scheduling and classes, but Dunshee reported an uneventful morning.
''It seems to be going pretty well so far,'' he said. ''We've got a lot of kids in the building -- we just need to get them in the right place.''
He added, ''I'm a little anxious, probably due to trying to make sure that everything goes smoothly.''
About 50 students at all grade levels decided to leave the district this year for other schools in the area. The exodus was somewhat higher than most years, officials said.
