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Editor’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available. If your school district isn’t on the list, but has updates regarding classes, please send your information to [email protected]
As officials and communities across the Valley continue to recover from the powerful storm that ripped through the region over the weekend, several school districts have announced closures.
Other school districts announced that classes will resume as normal.
Here are the school districts that have provided updates:
EDINBURG CISD:
Schools in the district will be open Monday, with classes in regular session, Edinburg CISD officials announced.
Bus routes will run regular pickup and drop-off schedules for students.
LA JOYA ISD:
UPDATE (6:45 P.M.):
Classes will be canceled on Monday for students and staff, according to a letter from Interim Superintendent Heriberto D. Gonzalez.
The letter also states that STAAR and EOC testing scheduled for Tuesday, will be administered on Wednesday instead.
The district will continue to monitor conditions throughout the next 48 hours and assess the safety and electrical power availability at schools to determine when they will resume normal operations, the letter stated.
“The health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff and community remain the highest priority for La Joya ISD,” Gonzalez wrote in the letter. “Thank you for your continued support in our efforts to provide the best learning and working environment for out students and staff.”
McALLEN ISD:
In a letter sent to parents and staff Sunday, Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez announced that the entire district will be closed Monday and operations will resume Tuesday.
However, the Boys and Girls Club of McAllen will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to all children in kindergarten through 5th grade, according to the letter. They will serve free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and parents do not have to be members of the club to benefit from the services.
Only essential workers will have to report to work on Monday, the letter stated. That includes workers in the police department, in the facilities, maintenance and operations department and the children nutrition department. Additionally, events scheduled for Monday will also be rescheduled.
Staff and students will return to school at regular times Tuesday, with school buses running their routes, the letter stated.
“Since Saturday, we have had crews cleaning up and assessing damage,” Gonzalez said in the letter. “We are working hard to ensure all schools are ready for learning on Tuesday, May 2. We appreciate your patience and support during this challenging time.”
MISSION CISD:
UPDATE (7:05 P.M.):
Superintendent Carol G. Perez announced in the latest Facebook post published on the district’s page that classes on Monday are officially canceled.
“Despite the valiant efforts of our Mission CISD maintenance crews, and the AEP and Magic Valley Electric Cooperative these past two days, some additional time will be required to complete repairs from the recent storm,” Perez said.
Essential district staff are required to report to work, while classroom teachers will be able to take a work day at home, the post stated. Teachers who want to go to their campus to pick up resources must contact their school’s principal.
The post also stated that supervisors will notify staff of their reporting status for Monday.
“We do not take school closure notices lightly, because State and Federal Education Agencies only allow cancelling classes when school facilities or environmental factors within the campuses prohibit the opening of schools,” Perez said.
Classes will resume their normal schedule on Tuesday.
The district is partnering with the city of Alton’s community center and the Boys and Girls Club of Mission to provide distribution points for grab and go meals.
“Many of our families depend upon the meals provided in school, and are dealing with challenges in replacing food that may have been lost due to the extended power outage,” Perez said. “So, we are planning to provide meals.”
For any child between the ages of 0-18, regardless of the school or district they attend, will be available to pick up grab-and-go meals at the following locations:
>> Boys and Girls Club of Mission, located at 209 W 18th St;
>> Alton Recreation Center, located at 349 W Dawes Ave.
Each grab-and-go meals will include both breakfast and lunch items.
The pick-up sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Please note that every effort was made to open schools, to provide that regular routine for students, while also knowing this would help so many of our working families,” Perez said. “We appreciate your patience and support during this time and look forward to welcoming everyone back Tuesday morning”
ORIGINAL:
While classes aren’t canceled, Superintendent Carol G. Perez wrote on the district’s Facebook page that Mission CISD is “committed to trying to resume [their] regular schedules on Monday to provide that additional sense of normalcy to your child.”
According to the post, only Mission High School and Midkiff Elementary School are without power, but Magic Valley Electricity and AEP Texas are addressing service to those schools and hope to have service restored before the end of Sunday.
“We hope everyone is safe,” Perez said. “Please be careful as you work to address any damage to your homes and property.”
PROGRESO ISD:
As a result of the ongoing power outages affecting schools, Superintendent Sergio Coronado stated in a letter that classes will be canceled Monday.
“Our schools and many members of our community, including some of our teachers and staff, are still without electricity,” Coronado said. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff, and we believe that canceling classes is the best course of action at this time.”
Classes will resume on Tuesday.
“We wish everyone in our community a safe and speedy recovery from the storm,” Coronado said.
PSJA ISD:
There will be no school for all PSJA ISD students and staff on Monday, Interim Superintendent Alejandro Elias said in a letter.
“Currently, some areas of our community remain without power and access to basic utilities, including several of our schools and facilities,” Elias said.
Instead, classes will resume on Tuesday, with any state assessments rescheduled accordingly. The letter also urges secondary students enrolled in dual credit courses with South Texas College to check their Blackboard for assignments and instructions from their professors.
As a result of the closure, the letter stated that the PSJA Child Nutrition Department will be offering free curbside breakfast and lunch meals for current students at all eight middle schools from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday — students must be present.
Additionally, the PSJA counseling team is also available for students and families that may need emotional support in coping with recent events at (956) 354-2080.
“We understand that some of our families and staff may be dealing with challenging circumstances due to the weather and want to assure you that our School Board of Trustees and Administration are working diligently to provide support and assistance where possible,” Elias said.
The letter also stated that staff, students and families will be notified of any changes the unexpected cancellation will cause to PSJA ISD’s previously scheduled 2022-2023 Academic Calendar as soon as they are confirmed.
ROMA ISD:
Thanks to the district’s Maintenance Department crew under the supervision of Edgar Rodriguez and Clyde Guerra, Roma ISD will continue normal operations on Monday.
Guerra and his team came into work Saturday to begin repairing damage and moving items out of the way for students and staff, according to the district’s Facebook post.
Electrical Supervisor Yamil Barrera assessed and continues working on electrical issues at campuses in the district.
“We have an incredible team of professionals dedicated to student success at Roma ISD,” the district wrote in the Facebook post. “Please join us in saying thank you to these men and women giving up their free time this weekend!!”
SANTA MARIA ISD:
Classes will continue to be in session Monday, according to a Facebook post from Santa Maria ISD.
“To ensure the safety of students and staff, bottled water will be available at each campus until the Boil Water Notice expires,” the district said.
The district also provided updated testing dates: Biology will occur on Tuesday, Algebra 1 will occur on Wednesday and U.S. History will occur on Thursday.
SHARYLAND ISD:
As a result of the community being without power, appropriate shelter and access to basic necessities, Superintendent Maria M. Vidaurri said the district “made the difficult decision” to convert Monday to a student holiday, according to a letter sent to staff, students and families.
In addition to having no school, students will not have to make up the day; teachers and staff will have a regular workday.
“This will allow our families respite and our teachers and staff time to prepare our facilities for our students return,” Vidaurri said.
Scheduled state assessments such as AP, EOC and STARR tests, will be rescheduled. There is no date yet, but the letter stated that the district will notify students and their parents affected by the change in test dates as soon as they assign new dates.
The letter also urges secondary students enrolled in dual credit courses with South Texas College to check their Blackboard for assignments and instructions from their professors. Parents whose children are enrolled in extracurricular activities are urged to consult with their child’s sponsor or coach for further information or changes.
Additionally, the district’s counseling team is available to help students and families cope with the recent events.
The district will be providing updates regarding school operations through their website, email, social media and other communication channels.
“Please take care of yourselves and your families as we work together to get our schools and community back on track,” Vidaurri said.
SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE:
South Texas College will be closed Monday for students, faculty and staff to “recover from this weekend’s severe storms,” the college wrote on its social media accounts.
Classes and business will resume on Tuesday.
VALLEY VIEW ISD:
With all buildings having electricity, the district wrote on Facebook that classes will resume as normal Monday.
“Should any changes occur we will be posting it on our social media pages,” the post stated.
