KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County students returned to the classroom Tuesday for the first day of the new school year.

“This is kind of our Super Bowl, this is the start of it all and the work that we do,” Dr. Jon Rysewyk, superintendent of KCS said.

Mill Creek Elementary opened its doors for its first year. The students will house Pre-K through second-grade students.

“We have been planning, me and my admin team have been planning all year different things that need to go into the building,” Sunny Scheafnocker, principal of Mill Creek Elementary, said. “Various procedural things, as well as, picking out different fixtures, flooring everything for the school which has been fun.”

Dr. Rysewyk said that Knox County Schools staff members have done several trainings with a focus on four specific things.

“All our work has been centered around foundational skills, having great educators in every room, every school, really building that career empowerment preparation, and then success for every student,” Rysewyk said.

As students return to the classroom, Rysewyk and KCS are ready for the 2023-24 school year.

“That’s kind of been our laser focus this summer through trainings and just preparing buildings, preparing for security and safety we had a press conference last week on that,” Dr. Rysewyk said. “The summer actually went by pretty quick as we got ready for the fall.”