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First Day Back To School For Maryland Public School Students

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With Labor Day passed, Tuesday was the first day of school for many students across Maryland.

Jonathan McCall spoke with city and school leaders about their expectations for the upcoming year.

Leaders say they're continuing their focus on fixing crumbling schools, but also this year, their goal is to focus on all aspects of student wellness.

Students at Frederick Elementary School in west Baltimore are headed back to class for a new year of learning.

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh greeted students and parents as they walked through the doors.

Tuesday marked the first day of classes for many of the more than 80,000 students at Baltimore City Schools.

"Our whole plan is to improve our school system to make sure the resources need for our children are here," says Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh.

This is good news to mom Brittany Oliver, who was dropping her son off for the first day of kindergarten.

"The environment, hopefully a better curriculum," she says.

Frederick Elementary has a new building -- just one of several being built as part of the district's 21st century school buildings plan.

The mayor toured the new school with schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises.

Santelisis says the district heads into year on a good financial footing.

"A lot of the advocacy that we engaged in the last year, has yielded some financial stability and foundation for the next three years or so to help us stabilize," says Dr. Santelises.

She says the district will focus on three components this year: student wholeness, literacy, and leadership.

"We're very excited about our blueprint. We're really focusing on the whole child, and how we build that out within our schools," she says.

As per an executive order from Governor Larry Hogan that was signed last year, Maryland Public Schools start after Labor Day and end by June 15.

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