EPISD, SISD allow more students to return to campus

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two major Borderland school districts reopened campuses Tuesday to students whose parents have opted to send them back.

The El Paso and Socorro independent School Districts will both use temperature checks and hand sanitizing stations on school campuses. Masks will be required on campus for everyone in both districts.

At EPISD, district officials said campuses will be limited to 50% capacity. Parents of elementary students will need to choose between virtual learning or in-person learning, while middle and high school students will be able to learn via hybrid model. The hybrid model will allow students to return to campus on certain days and continue virtual learning on others.

EPISD’s interim superintendent told ABC-7 what would happen if an outbreak occurred. 

“Campus may have to shut down completely and return to virtual instruction,” Vince Sheffield said. “In some cases we may be able to seclude particular classrooms or a particular section and only send those students home whereby the rest of the students will still be receiving instruction on campus.”

In Socorro ISD, the district will offer Covid-19 rapid testing to students and staff to help prevent outbreaks.

The district said parents played a role in the decision to reopen. Socorro ISD officials asked parents who wanted their children to return when they would feel most comfortable sending children back.

“A lot of our students need to be with us,” said SISD assistant superintendent for administrative services Marivel Macias. “We know that some of our students might not get a hot meal every day, but now they are. Some of our students may need us to be their advocates and their voices. We’re back. It’s going to be a little bit different, or very different, but we’re starting to get back and just being together, I think thats truly what we need.”