SAN ANTONIO – With the first of at least three weeks of solely remote learning behind them, two members of a student coalition in the San Antonio Independent School District are among those already looking ahead on their return to campus.
"I do feel like for now they've done a good job of keeping schools closed. I just don't see how that's going to hold up in the future," said Aysha Darilek, a senior at the Advanced Learning Academy.
Both she and Jacqueline Campos, a senior at the Young Women's Leadership Academy, said they've decided not to return to classroom instruction at their respective schools.
"We don't want to put our families at risk and we want don't want to lose anyone close to us," Campos said.
SAISD offers a year-round remote learning option.
Otherwise, Leslie Price, SAISD spokeswoman, said the district is taking a cautious approach to returning students to school.
“Sometime after Labor Day, based on the city’s health data and metrics we developed, we will begin gradually bringing back students,” Price said.
She said SAISD, in consultation with the Metropolitan Health District, developed a tiered plan for its re-opening of schools.
Price said the district will give parents and staff at least one week's advance notice of any changes.
Once the metrics are met, Price said only up to 25% of students will be allowed to return, beginning with students struggling academically and special education students, with parental permission.
Despite the district’s plans and COVID-19 protocols, Darilek and Campos are skeptical it won’t be enough to keep them safe.
"Personally, I feel like I'm only going to feel safe going back if there's a vaccine," Darilek said.
Campos said, “I hope that the cases will go down, but that’s a lot of hoping.”
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