SAN ANTONIO — City of San Antonio leaders say another coronavirus surge may be on the horizon, but that's not stopping North East ISD from welcoming more students back into the classroom.
On Monday, any NEISD student that wants to physically return to a classroom can do so. As of right now, district leaders say about 24,000 of their 60,000 enrolled students are on campuses already.
District officials told KENS 5 they expect "a few thousand more" to be back in school come Monday.
Officials say about 45% of students want to be back at school right now, which means more than half have opted to continue virtual learning.
In a recent message to parents, the Superintendent Sean Maika said less than 1% of staff and 1% of students have tested positive since August, marks that he points to as justification for the district expanding its on-campus population.
"The drop of COVID cases in Bexar County and the improving (positivity) rate, plus the success of our health protocols, demonstrates we are ready to welcome those students requesting in-person learning," Maika said in a video message.
Now, since that message, San Antonio has seen a slight increase in cases and positivity rate. Nonetheless, district officials say they remain confident they can welcome back more students in a safe manner.
Students still have to wash their hands, wear masks and practice social distancing in the classroom, as well as while riding the school bus.
District officials added that if parents want to pull their kid out of the classroom and back into virtual learning, they can do so at any time.