Schools extend Spring Break as part of ongoing effort to contain spread of coronavirus

Updated: March 27, 2020

By NELDA BRIONES
LFN

Here in the Rio Grande Valley there have been several schools and universities that have extended Spring Break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 17, La Feria ISD, Los Fresnos CISD, Santa Rosa ISD and Harlingen CISD announced that they would extend Spring Break for another week through March 27. Students were expected to return to class March 30. The extended break did not, however, apply to faculty and staff. They were to be notified as to their situations.

Meanwhile, Santa Maria ISD announced that it will close its schools through April 3.

Although no cases of coronavirus had been reported in Cameron County as of March 18, each district wanted to remain vigilant and take the best course of action.

A press release from La Feria ISD stated that plans were underway to develop both online lessons and instructional packets for students whose families don’t have internet access should the closures have to continue past March 27.

Also, breakfast and lunch will be prepared for and provided to La Feria ISD students from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and will be available for pickup at Noemi Dominguez Elementary and La Feria High School. Delivery will take place to identified locations, which will be posted online once they are decided.

Santa Maria ISD also announced that it is finalizing logistics on distance learning options and the distribution of food to address children’s nutritional needs while school is out. More information and guidance will be made available on its website at www.smisd.net.

La Feria, Los Fresnos, Santa Rosa, Santa Maria and Harlingen joined IDEA Public Schools, which had already decided to extend Spring Break through March 27. As of now, students are expected to return to class beginning March 30.

To help relieve some of the obvious pressure these school closing will bring, on March 16, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott eliminated the STARR testing for this school year.

“Your health and safety are top priorities, and the state of Texas will give school districts flexibility to protect and ensure the health of students, faculty, and their families,” the governor stated in a release.

The closures have also affected area colleges, including Our Lady of the Lake University-Rio Grande Valley in La Feria extended its Spring Break as well as postponed its annual 5k Confetti Run/Walk that was supposed to take place in April.

Texas State Technical College in Harlingen also extended its Spring Break. They are to resume classes on Monday, March 30. Meanwhile, Texas Southmost College is extending its break until March 27. TSC also mentioned that depending on the school district’s course of action regarding COVID-19, all dual credit courses held at high school campuses would resume Monday March 23.

As of March 19, no official cases of coronavirus had been reported in Cameron Country. There were a pair of travelers from Michigan, however, who were confirmed to have the virus. According to Cameron Country officials, the couple visited South Padre Island recenlty, traveled to Idaho then returned to the island before returning home to their permanent residence in Michigan where they were officially diagnosed.

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