The decision to keep the school district open or closed during extreme weather takes into account multiple factors. “It’s always a hard decision to make and of course the safety of our students and staff is a priority and we never want to jeopardize it,” said Superintendent Mr. Rolando Ramirez.
The Southside ISD Superintendent said keeping the schools open and warm for students during a recent winter blast came after receiving a safety report from Transportation Director Mr. Jesse Berlanga. He declared the roads safe for bus travel on the morning of January 31, 2023. Additionally, late in the morning other school districts announced they would be closing. However, Southside ISD administrators believed it was too late in the morning to inform parents classes would be canceled. “For parents, it would be very upsetting to learn at the last minute that we were going to close and they would need to make arrangements for someone to take care of their children. Also, we wanted our students to have a warm and a safe place,” said Mr. Ramirez.
Parents who sent their children to school expressed their gratitude. “Everyone was smiling and it seemed that the parents were content that we had given them that opportunity to bring their children to school,” the superintendent said.
