Calexico Unified school kids return to classes on Wednesday after spending the past month without classroom instruction. The Easter earthquake in April had forced all Calexico schools to shut down until now.
The Calexico Unified School District includes only 13 schools and about 9,000 students.
All those students were stranded at home after the 7.2 Easter earthquake, which caused so much damage that schools were deemed too dangerous and hazardous to use.
Traces of asbestos were detected due to the earthquake. Exposed electrical wires, broken water and gas lines, cracks in ceilings and roofs, and ruptured air conditioning units also posed serious problems.
School officials provided off-site tutoring and posted assignments online. Students from low-income families who rely on free school meals received food at alternative locations. Two schools, which sustained the most damage, remain closed.
Calexico Unified will get $4.5 million in state emergency funding for repairs and construction. However, damages are estimated at $10 to $15 million.
