Biden and the first lady head to District of Columbia public middle school to welcome back students

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are visiting a District of Columbia public middle school to welcome students back for the new year

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are visiting a District of Columbia public middle school on Monday to welcome students back for the new school year.

The Bidens are heading to Eliot-Hine Middle School, located east of the U.S. Capitol, to mark the District of Columbia's first day of school for the 2023-24 year. The event kicks off several back-to-school activities for the first lady, who is traveling later in the week to the Midwest to celebrate teachers and to highlight the mental health needs of students.

Jill Biden is a longtime teacher. She's the first first lady to continue her career outside the White House. She teaches English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, which is where she taught during the eight years her husband was President Barack Obama's vice president.

The school was built in 1931 and was recently modernized with state-of-the-art facilities. It has about 300 students. According to its website, it is focused on rigorous academic and socio-emotional instruction, and it receives federal funding to help support low-income students.