UVALDE, Texas — While there was some anxiety among families dropping off their children at Uvalde Elementary for the first day of school, there was also joy and excitement at some return to normalcy.
Uvalde CISD began its new school year Tuesday and the day marked the first time students returned to the classroom since May 24, when a gunman killed 19 fourth grade children and two teachers.
With Robb Elementary permanently closed, Uvalde Elementary (part of the Benson Complex campus) will serve students in third and fourth grade who previously attended Robb.
As families drove up to drove off their children, they would have first noticed the new, 8-foot nonscalable fencing that surrounds the building. It was one of several new security measure implemented by the district.
They would have also noticed the presence of DPS troopers. 33 troopers will be stationed at campuses across the district this school year, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
As the car line formed outside the school, several teachers and staff members greeted the students with smiles and enthusiam, creating as much normalcy as they could. Parents walking their kids into the building stopped to take the traditional "first day of school" pictures. When the first school bell rang, there was a palpable feeling of relief and comfort in the familiar routine.
The eyes of the country and the world are on Uvalde today, on a day that cannot be easy for the families there. If you would like to help the community and the many charitable efforts for victims' families, please click here for a list of resources.