The San Diego Unified School District postponed the first day of school so a thorough assessment could be made of damage caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
While students had one more day of summer vacation, teachers and staff reported to work at the more than 170 campuses across the district.
It was still sprinkling at Hoover High School, Monday morning, when Yosmel Gomez, 16, showed up ready for his first day as a junior. He was not aware classes had been canceled.
“(Am I) disappointed? Not really. It’s kind of weird, you know? I wasn’t expecting this," he said before walking home.
In the main office at Millennial Tech Middle School in the Chollas View neighborhood, there was a soaked carpet that had to be dried with an industrial vacuum.
Water seeped into the administration building on Sunday evening. It also leaked from the ceiling into Sarah Hillard's science classroom.
“Everything is a little bit green and kind of gross," Hillard said. "It was definitely all sitting in water when I picked up this bucket, there was water underneath.”
The ceiling leak dripped onto the iPads her students are supposed to use this semester.
“It will be a little disappointing because we were supposed to start our drone unit tomorrow, and these (iPads) are the controllers we use for the drone program,” she said.
This is the first semester Hillard is introducing drone technology to her sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students. Despite the soggy setback, she plans to use this as a teachable moment with her students when they return tomorrow.
“I think it’s really important to teach the kids about weather, weather patterns, climate, and what is causing hurricanes to occur in a city where they haven’t occurred in the last 80 years,” she said.
Down the hall at Millennial Tech Middle School, Thomas Courtney sat all alone in his classroom double checking lesson plans for his sixth-grade humanities and English language arts classes. There was no damage in his classroom.
“I’m ready to go! What I want is kids in these desks. I want my projects up, kids working, and smiling. I want laughter and I want to get back to learning," Courtney said.
Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson posted a message on the San Diego Unified website.
He said in part, "I would like to thank everyone for their understanding during the uncertain weather conditions brought on by Hurricane Hilary that delayed the start of the 2023-24 school year by one day. Preliminary reports indicate minimal damage, and we are making any repairs that may be necessary. We look forward to opening schools to welcome all students on Tuesday, Aug. 22."
