What a difference a day makes.
After a 24-hour delay, the San Diego Unified School District welcomed back students on Tuesday morning.
The start of the fall semester was postponed a day for administrators to assess the damage on campuses caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
Almost 100,000 students returned to classes at more than 170 campuses across the district.
The district's official kick-off event took place at Hoover High School in City Heights.
Superintendent Lamont Jackson spoke directly to the district’s administrators and educators during a press conference before school began. “I’m going to challenge us, ask us, beg us, plead with us to create the conditions for (students) to be amazing, now and into the future," Jackson said.
The cheerleading Cardinals squad led the welcome at Hoover High, which has 2,200 students in grades 9-12. Student participation in the event also included the school's marching and mariachi bands.
There are more universal transitional kindergarten classes at many schools this year. San Diego Unified has also increased its number of community schools from five campuses to 15, offering support services beyond the classroom.
Hoover High has one of the most comprehensive community school models. It features a medical and dental clinic on campus through a partnership with La Maestra Family Health Centers.
Feeding San Diego provides 4,600 lbs. of dry food and fresh fruits and vegetables every month to stock the school pantry for families to use.
There are therapy and individual counseling sessions available, too.
"You can’t learn if you’re hungry. You can’t learn if you’re having trouble at home. You can’t learn if you’re dealing with mental health issues; you can’t learn if your stomach hurts and you have a medical condition," said Richard Gijon, the community school site coordinator at Hoover. "If we want our kids to perform at a high level, we need to make sure we’re meeting all their needs," he said.
This fall, the district has also added several new league sports teams including girl's flag football at 17 campuses.
“It’s really fun, because we’ve never had flag football at our school before. It's the first time, and it’s nice to make history," said Myesha Frank, 16, a junior and member of Hoover High's inaugural girl's flag football team.
