Consider This from NPR - As a new school year begins, how are students and parents feeling?

Episode Date: September 7, 2026

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.Across the country, more than 54 million students have returned to the classrooms.NPR spoke with students and teachers in different parts of the country to hear how they're feeling as the school year begins.This episode features reporting by Elizabeth Miller of Oregon Public Broadcasting, Beth Wallis of KOSU, and NPR's Jonaki Mehta.VPM’s Megan Pauly also contributed reporting to this episode.This episode was produced by Lauren Migaki and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. Our director is Marc Rivers.It was edited by Nirvi Shah, Steven Drummond and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, the rite of passage that's the start of a new school year. Happy most day! It's Labor Day, which marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of another school year. Bells are ringing, loud speakers are blaring, and across the country, more than 54 million students are returning to classrooms. It's going to be so great. Some students have. had big feelings.

How do you feel about the first day of school? That's okay. Was anybody a little scared or nervous to come to school today? Um-huh. Oh, me. Good. Consider this. A new school year can be exciting and nerve-wracking for students, parents, and teachers.

Our reporters captured those first day of school feelings in various schools around the country. From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow. It's Consider This from NPR. Let's make a quick video for Grandma. Are you excited for first grade? No. What are you most hoping for? Nothing.

Are you going to make any friends? Not interested. All right. This is a great start for a great first day. Neve is among millions of students who are heading back to school. She was speaking to her mother, Michelle Magnuson. Our reporters set out to three different schools around the country, from elementary school to high school to California, to California.

capture the sights, sounds, and feelings of returning back to school. We begin with NPR's Junaki Meta in Los Angeles. Here at Mitchell Terena Street Elementary School. Here at Mitchell Terena, home of the Mighty Eagles, kindergartners are gearing up to go to elementary school for the very first time, and they have some big feelings. How do you feel? I'm excited to learn about kindergarten.

I'm nervous. Excited. To help her newest students with this big transition, Principal Nicole Secularian welcomes them one day early for a sneak peek at school to meet teachers and new friends. And then we have some other special friends here. About six years ago, they started here at school just like you. And now they're fifth graders and they leave. The fifth graders, Secularian is talking about, are all dressed in bright blue shirts that's a toolbox coach across their chest. Their job is to mentor kindergartners all year long, like fifth grader Noemi Uyoya.

I think by being a toolbox coach, I can help the kindergartners learn how to harness their emotions and also have better friends because when I was in kindergarten I was really shy, but with experience with being with kids that have experience, it'll be easier to make friends and they'll be probably less shy. Fellow fifth grader Gerald Gomez-Rena says a big part of the job is to help kindergartners use their emotional tools like... Breathing and quiet safe place and garbage can. What's garbage can?

Garbage can is when you throw away feelings if you get sad or mad. To welcome their newest friends, Noemi and Gerald head to a kindergarten classroom. My name is Gerald. You want to go see where you sit? You want to bring your parents with you? Yeah, let's go see. Gerald will show us.

Gerald shows students their rug spots and cubbies while Noemi hands out name tags. Kindergartener Sorah Emery Troy tells Gerald she is over the moon about starting school. One of the funnest things in school? What? Science. Science at school, actually.

It's really fun. When you go to fifth grade or in fourth grade, you're going to make a roller coaster. As Mitchell Terena's newest eagles head home, their pre-first day of school jitters seem to leave with them. Great job lining up. And early the next morning, many of the same faces are crowded at the front gates. Hey, I love you. Have a beautiful day. Five-year-old Ian Patterson's entire family showed up to drop him off,

and before his mom has a chance to let go of his hand, fifth-grader Marilyn Merigliano gives him a high-five and takes over, leading Ian into the school gates. What are your favorite things to do? Play. Oh, my gosh, there are so many games in kindergarten. You're going to love all of your friends, and you'll be making new ones every day.

Chinaki Mepa and Pierre News, Mitchell Terena Street, Elementary in Los Angeles. And I'm Beth Wallace with State Impact in Edmond, Oklahoma. Okay, let's go. About 25 students and parents are meeting in a park before riding their bikes to Will Rogers Elementary on their first day of school. Mom Michelle Magnuson organizes the bike bus, which meets once a week to ride together. Once everyone's gathered, the ride begins.

Nearing the school, first grader Hayden Rout, steers his black, blue, and green. bike passed a line of cars stretching around the corner. The bike bus started after parents and kids here followed the example of similar efforts in Oregon in encouraging kids to get out and pedal. Ten minutes later, everyone locks up their bikes on the racks at the school. Hayden's older brother, third grader Owen, says his favorite part of the bike bus is going down the big hill. I like the breeze in my face when I'm going.

really fast on my bike. That's nice for a morning when temperatures are climbing. And what's he looking forward to most this year? I'm really excited to see all my last year classmates and maybe some new, and maybe make some new friends. For NPR news, I'm Beth Wallace in Edmond, Oklahoma. I'm Elizabeth Miller in Oregon. It's the first day of school at Beaverton High, just out of the first day of school at Beaverton High,

just outside of Portland, and no one really knows where they're going. Do you need help? 287. 287 is going to be down this way and to the right. Beaverton High School is brand new to everyone, from teachers down to the students. There's a state-of-the-art theater with bright orange seats and big LED screens in the gym. Colorful murals line the halls and the library. But the school year started off as it has for the past 110 years here,

with the ringing of the original schoolhouse bell. Andrew Curl is the principal. So sometimes when you open a new facility, it can look a little sterile, and this one does not feel that way. It's vibrant. It feels like the old Beaverton. The old Beaverton, with some new touches, like adjustable classroom lights. Leah Baird's special education classroom features soft overhead lights as students start their day.

The technology in here is amazing we can change the light color to support students' sensory needs. Natural light floods the classroom through large windows, something Baird, didn't have in the old building. Outside of Baird's classroom is a colorful mosaic created by ceramic students. Baird tells her class to look for the sea turtle in the corner to find their way. So it's not only a visual reminder, but a tactile one. So as we're navigating a massively large building, we've got lots of different visual and sensory cues. In another class, several hallways away, sophomore S.J. Black talks about the class he's most

excited about. Child development. I feel like it would be nice to figure out how. to take care of a kid. So for when that time comes to be, like, a parent, I don't know what to do. Sitting next to him, sophomore Andrew Perez says he's getting used to his new digs. I was a little intimidated at first because there's a lot of people outside. And just like, it was really big. But once I got in, it felt really warm.

In the brand new building of 1,400 students, he says, it just felt welcoming. For NPR News, I'm Elizabeth Miller in Beaverton, Oregon. Elizabeth Miller is a reporter for Oregon public broadcasting. We also heard from reporter Beth Wallace in Edmund, Oklahoma, and Janaki Meta in Los Angeles. VPM's Megan Pauley also contributed reporting to this episode. This episode was produced by Lauren McGaachie and Karen Zamora with audio engineering by Ted Mebein. Our director is Mark Rivers. It was edited by Nirvi Shah, Stephen Drummond, and Tinbeat Airmuse.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorney. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.