At today’s meeting, we received an update on the challenges and general infrastructure for the Colonias.

    One of the primary challenges that we identified in this meeting was the difficulty in keeping up with education. There are lots of warning signs for depression and other mental health issues that are becoming more apparent at this point in the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, we would see an average of 60 children per class, but now we’re lucky to see 10. To help deal with burnout, teachers and parents are working to make the material as engaging as possible; one of the teachers we spoke with took their students on a virtual field trip to a museum, parents and grandparents are trying to get kids active and thinking outside of their classes. Despite these efforts, children are still getting tired of learning online. Faculty are receiving training to recognize signs of depression in their students, but teachers are stretched thin and many are retiring.

    Schools are also dealing with the issue of hunger. Since some schools have moved to remote instruction, people are searching for new solutions to make sure that students have food. The Gadsden school district is looking into delivery options, but it’s tough to do that without coming into contact with students and their families. For now, they’re offering EBT cards to those who can’t get to school to pick up lunches.