Valley parent concerned about sending kids to school following Uvalde shooting
A Weslaco parent decided to keep her three kids home from school following the tragedy in Uvalde that left 19 students dead.
San Juanita Reyna takes her stepdaughter, granddaughter and niece to Weslaco East High School every day, but decided against it on Wednesday.
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“This really hit home,” Reyna said. “It hit all of us and our leaders––our leaders need to do something about it.”
Reyna said she is also concerned about previous threats that circled around Weslaco East High School earlier this year, adding that her stepdaughter has already changed schools once because of safety concerns.
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“I want to feel safe in my school,” said Weslaco East High School student Jennifer Rodriguez. “When I go to school, I don't want to feel like someone’s going to come with a gun and just shoot everyone.”
Weslaco ISD Superintendent Dino Coronado says they are already taking steps to ensure the safety of students.
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“Right now, we have 54 security guards,” said Coronado. “We also have two canine police units assigned to Weslaco ISD. All of our elementary schools have a magnetic key to get in, so all the doors say closed, you have to be buzzed in. We’re working on that with our middle schools and high schools, as well.”
Reyna says she understands the safety measures that are taking place, but would like to see more.
The last day of the school year for Weslaco ISD is Thursday.
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