Gizelle Lopez

Schools in the district remain open despite student and parent concerns over safety. “I think school should’ve been canceled because our school floods easily and also most kids have to walk and it’s not safe driving in the rain. It’s not safe since streets also flood and there’s classrooms that leak,” said sophomore Abril Chavez.

The district posted a statement on Instagram Sunday night regarding the dangerous weather conditions on behalf of Superintendent Dr. Emy Flores. Despite serious weather conditions, students were required to attend school, causing concern from parents and students. 

According to the post, schools were to remain open with the help of administrators by preparing the schools with supplies needed to prevent flooding. Water drainage systems and portable bridges were provided on campus.

Soon after the Instagram post, concerns began to flood the comment section of the district Instagram account. Over 100 comments were posted, concerned about the district’s decision. The extreme weather conditions even led to some students making sarcastic comments about the possibilities of drowning and taking submarines to school. 

As a result of the excessive amount of rain, many students did not go to school. Some classes were left with only half of the usual amount of students.

 “…a lot of classes were empty too, which led to teachers not even teaching like half of my classes were half empty and so then the teacher was like ‘I can’t teach cause I’m gonna have to reteach it’…it just felt like a waste of a day,” said sophomore vice president Ameer Jaber. 

Students and parents expressed concern over the driving conditions due to the young drivers having to drive in the rain. According to FHWA (Federal Highway Administration), about 21 percent of vehicle crashes are weather related. 

“It is a risk for students who drive to school because they have reduced visibility, flooding, and slippery roads. There is an increased chance of an accident happening, it can be extremely dangerous for students who are driving to school especially if they’ve never driven in such bad weather,” said sophomore Gizelle Lopez. 

Many students expressed concern over the continuation of classes in dangerous weather conditions, believing the district does not care about the students and staff. A common concern was the lack of resources available to students in these weather conditions.

 “It’s inconsiderate to those who don’t have a resource to a ride home,” said sophomore Makenzie Xie. 

Despite an emergency flood alert being sent out, advising “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order,” school districts proceeded with schools remaining open. The district has not issued further statements regarding this issue.