September 11, 2006

21,000 children and families joined Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell for the 7th annual Mayor’s First Day Festival in downtown Nashville the day before the new school started August 13. 10,000 free backpacks with a snack and school supplies were distributed, and attendees visited over a hundred booths containing educational information and freebies. Entertainment included high school drumlines and marching bands as well as rock musicians.

Purcell visited four schools on the First Day of School.

The mayor and the Nashville school board held their quarterly meeting at the newly-constructed Glenview Elementary. Following the meeting, Purcell participating in a ribboncutting ceremony at the school with all the students present. Glenview Elementary is in good standing under NCLB, despite half of the student body being served as English Language Learner students.