Uvalde students returned to school Tuesday for the first time since the Robb Elementary School shooting that left 21 dead and 19 injured.
There was a mix of emotions as parents dropped off their children at Uvalde Elementary, one of the schools where students from now-closed Robb Elementary have been reassigned.
“I’m a little worried this morning, of course,” said Lavonne DeLeon, a grandmother who dropped off two children who were at Robb Elementary during the shooting.
“I’m confident. I put my faith in God. We’re fine,” said another parent.
The students were greeted with hugs, high-fives and lots of new changes. Law enforcement was highly visible on campuses in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, and tall fences now surround some schools.
The school day appeared to be a success for those who attended in person. Not so much for some who signed up for the online learning the district offered for those not ready to return to class.
Adam Martinez says his two children haven’t been able to log into their classes all day. If it doesn’t improve, he says he’ll have to explore other options.
“Going to another K-12 program that has its action together or going back to school and those schools aren’t ready. The fence isn’t even up at Flores Elementary where my daughter would go,” Martinez said.
Across the district, counselors and comfort dogs will be on hand to help transition the struggling community into the next stage of healing. “We’re going to have a good year,” DeLeon said.
Texas school districts showed their support for Uvalde by wearing the district’s colors, brown and white.
