Breadcrumb Navigation

Back to School Kickoff 2024
Posted in , on August 7, 2024

Back to School Kickoff 2024

No event kicks off听a new听school year like the 91制片厂 Back to School Kickoff.

That鈥檚 why the district continues to bring it back year after year, this year marking its听10th anniversary.

Back to School Kickoff 2024鈥淚 was here on year one听ten years ago and it鈥檚 grown so much,鈥 said former Dallas Cowboy great Tony Casillas.

Over 10,000 students and families gathered at this past Saturday for a morning full of back-to-school preparation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about community coming together to support our kids,鈥 said 91制片厂 superintendent Dr. Matt Smith. 鈥淭he opportunity to make sure thousands of students feel excited and confident going into the new school year just blows me away. It鈥檚 amazing.鈥

With free backpacks filled with school supplies waiting for students, many 91制片厂 kiddos are now set and ready for day one 鈥 August 14!

Free dental services and vision screenings were also provided for students by and with the help of students from the P-TECH at Bowie High School.

But that鈥檚 not all. High school seniors from the district鈥檚 cosmetology program at the Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center also brought back their expertise to provide free haircuts, too!

Back to School Kickoff 2024鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome,鈥 Casillas said. 鈥淭o be able to come out here and get prepared with so many free services and backpacks 鈥 I can鈥檛 think of any other city that does it like this.鈥

Fourth grader George Trevino felt the same way about his brand-new camouflage backpack.

鈥淚鈥檝e never seen one like this before,鈥 he said.

In fact, that鈥檚 what brought Trevino and his mom Selina Perez back for their second Back to School Kickoff.

鈥淢y kids love the backpacks,鈥 Perez said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e lasted us almost two years, so this year we wanted to get new ones. This event is pretty amazing. It saves me a lot of money that I don鈥檛 have. It鈥檚 so helpful for so many parents out here and we just love it so much.鈥

But the Kickoff was also about having some summer fun. Nearly 100 vendors provided helpful information along with sweet treats and goodies. was also at the Kickoff, making sure everyone knew about healthy eating habits. Families made their way to the outside football field for some football games and drills or inside the stadium to snap a picture with their听favorite Disney characters. There was also a DJ playing tunes outside throughout the day.

鈥淢y favorite part is seeing the Arlington community unite and collaborate to support our students and families to have a great start to the school year,鈥 said Aaron Perales, executive director of family engagement, equity and access.

With over 800 volunteers to help make the event possible, that鈥檚 exactly what they did.

Back to School Kickoff 2024鈥淚t鈥檚 been heartwarming,鈥 said Kickoff volunteer and Starrett Elementary assistant principal Tamara Harrell.听鈥淭he families are so excited, the kids are so excited, it makes us feel so happy to be here. It鈥檚 been so amazing to see different parts of the community coming together for such a good cause.鈥

In the summer of 2014, the Dallas Cowboys reached out to Perales about getting involved in 91制片厂鈥檚 back to school festivities. That鈥檚 when several organizations came together to collaborate with the Cowboys to put on the Back to School Kickoff. Thanks to the following founding partners, 91制片厂鈥檚 Back to School Kickoff has been one of the most anticipated events for the last 10 years.

  • The Churches of Arlington

View all the photos from the 2024 Back to School Kickoff .