Dear Southside ISD Community,
On April 17, 2021, a fire at Pearce Elementary affected 13 classrooms and the cafeteria. An investigation determined that arson was the cause of the fire. At the request of the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, Southside ISD refrained from making any statements to avoid compromising the integrity of the investigation.
Through cooperative efforts with the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, a suspect was arrested in connection with the fire. We want to be very clear, Southside ISD will not tolerate any criminal behavior and we will prosecute anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. It is criminal that the suspect caused a major upheaval to the learning environment of hundreds of Southside ISD school children.
We know that our students are resilient and we remain committed to their safety and academic success. Southside ISD will continue to be transparent at all times. Now that this suspect has been arrested, we can move forward and continue with the great work going on here at Southside ISD. Lastly, we are grateful and very proud of our parents, teachers, other campuses, and staff for coming together to help our students at Pearce Elementary.
Thank you
ROLANDO RAMIREZ
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SOUTHSIDE ISD