Students in Metro Nashville Public Schools head back to school this week

Students in Middle Tennessee are heading back to school this week. Inglewood Elementary School in Nashville was buzzing with excitement as students entered the doors on Tuesday for their first day of class.

With that excitement came some separation anxiety among parents and students. First-day jitters were especially high for the school’s kindergartners. Inglewood’s executive principal, Whitney Russell, noted that her youngest students were born at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

“This is the year, kindergarten, these are our Covid babies,” Russell told WPLN News. “Our Covid babies are really attached to their parents and they’re really attached to their parents because they don’t know the world outside of their parents. So, I’m sure there was a lot of anxiety leading up to today.”

She said they eventually relaxed, like most new students, when they got distracted by the day’s excitement which included a back-to-school gift box of school supplies.

One of her fourth-grade students, however, showed no signs of nerves. Nine-year-old Asher told WPLN News that he’s most excited to reunite with friends.

“I’m feeling good about it. I’m seeing most of my friends that were here last year, and some new kids. And my teacher’s someone I know and is really funny,” he said. “Yeah, I’m having a good time.”

Superintendent Adrienne Battle and Mayor Freddie O’Connell joined the faculty at Inglewood Tuesday morning to welcome students back. Battle discussed the city creating new transit routes to make it easier for kids to get to school as well as the importance of school resource officers to keep students safe.

She also addressed the $6.5 million payout that Metro Nashville Public Schools agreed to in order to settle a lawsuit claiming that Battle wrongfully fired or demoted five former MNPS employees.

“The truth of the matter is we still stand on the decisions that we’ve made,” Battle said. “I think what you will see is that the results speak for themselves and part of that process is for us to get to today.”

Kids in Williamson and Sumner counties began school Monday, while kids in Rutherford County will return to class Wednesday.