Hundreds of mask-wearing families attended the last food distribution by the Brownsville Independent School District at several schools throughout the city on Thursday morning.
More than 670,000 meals were distributed since the program started back in March as the pandemic hit Brownsville. BISD Superintendent Rene Gutierrez said during an interview the program will resume as the new school year approaches and classes will start virtually.
“We will have virtual learning but we are planning on providing the meal services and we are going to be working on that,” he said.
“Definitely the meal service program will continue and we are going to find ways to reach out and find more sites now that the school year is going to get started.”
Gutierrez said it is crucial for students to continue having this service because it ensures students are getting the healthy meals they need. He added it also lessens the economic burden some families are facing during this pandemic.
“These are difficult times for everyone, there are parents who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut from work and are not making the same amount of money they were bringing before the pandemic and this helps,” he said.
In regard to the pandemic, Gutierrez said he recommends that everyone follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines such as social distancing, wearing face masks and staying home as much as possible.
“Those are the key components that I highly recommend for us to practice regularly,” he said. “We have a responsibility to take care of each other.”
All classes will begin Aug. 25 via distance learning, but teachers will have the option of teaching remotely from home or remotely from their classrooms. The BISD Board of Trustees approved an amended 2020-2021 instructional calendar and a resolution supporting orders from Gov. Greg Abbott, County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., and Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez that schools remain closed for in-person instruction until conditions allow them to safely reopen, The Brownsville Herald reported Wednesday.
