CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces county schoolchildren will have to wait a little longer to meet their teacher in person this school year.
The Local Health Authority announced a Public Health Order on Thursday banning on-campus classes at all 12 school districts that have territory in the county until after Labor Day.
Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni said the superintendents of those districts were “relieved” when they heard the news amid an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Coastal Bend.
“We know that (the superintendents) are scared,” Zanoni said. "We know the parents are scared. We know the teachers are scared. The teachers union is scared. So this gives everybody a little more time while at the same time being able to instruct students.”
Instruction will be done online-only according to the Public Health Order. It’s what the union Zanoni refered to — the American Federation of Teachers Corpus Christi — has been calling for for weeks.
“I’m most proud of our elected officials,” AFTCC President Nancy Vera said. "They heard our call. They heard our cries. I’m just elated.”
Teachers, parents, and other people voiced their concerns that reopening schools in August was too soon. Corpus Christi Independent School District leaders say the delay until after Labor Day is a good thing when it comes to constructing its reopening plans.
“Now we have a little more time to work on that, and to flesh that out some more,” Corpus Christi ISD spokesperson Leanne Libby said. “And we’re very grateful to have that time, because we absolutely want to create the safest environment — not just for the students — but absolutely for our staff as well.”
