San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff explain their worry about starting school as soon as August and wants to delay opening school. In a time where virtually everything is uncertain because of the rising amount of coronavirus cases in the Texas hill country, education is not exempt. Recently, San Antonio schools announced their starting date for the fall of 2020 and their plan to prioritize the health and safety of educators and students.
However, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the mayor of San Antonio and a judge express their worry about starting school in a few short weeks.
During Monday’s COVID-19 press briefing, Judge Wolff discussed that San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) plans to start their school year on August 10th and that he believes it will be a problem. Wolff says “We think school districts have the right to maybe delay opening school for three weeks, but this is almost on us now.”
Many schools across the nation have formed plans that they hope will keep educators and students safe during the pandemic. Most of these plans revolve around prioritizing social distancing and maintaining high standards of sanitation. Many of the plans also offer distance e-learning for families that do not feel comfortable sending their children into a physical building.
Of course, the downside of having a child attend school virtually half of the week, or even switching to completely virtual school is the retention rates that will drop, the lack of socializing the child will have to experience, and the added stress of both parents working during the daytime.
However, Judge Wolff says that he hopes that Governor Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will support his desire to delay opening school at the beginning of August. The Mayor of San Antonio said that they will be meeting with San Antonio school superintendents this week to discuss plans.
