SAN ANTONIO — With kids now schooling from home, local school districts are doing what they can to keep their students as connected as possible at a time when social distancing continues to be encouraged amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Monica Garcia, director of advising and counseling for Judson ISD, says they’ve created hotlines students can call for any help or counseling needs.
“There are many things happening in Judson, and everybody’s been on board,” Garcia said.
Garcia says she's been behind the new program from the start.
“We created Google phone numbers that are allowing us to track calls that are coming in. So we’re able to track our calls and give a phone number out where parents and students can reach,” Garcia said.
During a joint press conference Friday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced the city was shutting down playgrounds and basketball courts—the latest measures being undertaken to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
“Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy and save lives,” Mayor Nirenberg said.
The new order means programs like the counseling hotlines become even more invaluable to students.
There are three different hotline numbers available for Judson ISD students: one is for social counseling; another for academic counseling; and a third dedicated to high school seniors, whose final years have gone from being about celebration to uncertainty.
“Seniors are struggling with the anxiety about graduation and other things taken place at this time," Garcia said. "We really wanted to have our counselors and social workers available to be able to answer questions for our students."
During the short time they’ve been up and running, Garcia says the hotline has taken over 300 calls and even more emails. But they expect those numbers to grow.
“We have not experienced a lot of anxiety and stress from students just yet; just a lot of general questions," she said. "But we know, in the few weeks to come, that’s going to change."