Socorro Independent School District's support staff is made up of hard working individuals, whom like teachers and students, have families as well. These indispensable staff members include but is not limited to: counselors, librarians, clerk, secretaries, PEIMS/Attendance clerks, scheduling/registrars, aides, college tutors, monitors, custodial staff, and security staff. The health of these individuals is equally as important. With unions that are created to protect the rights and well-being of teachers-who then will advocate for the support staff? 

If the local health department, El Paso's health authority, and the SISD school board have unanimously deemed the return to campus unsafe for both students and teachers, then it is unsafe for their support staff as well. ALL employees should be offered the same option as the teachers to work from home. If the Socorro Independent School District finds that all support staff are "essential", then keep those essential employees safe and healthy. Protect their lives as well.

Until the Socorro Independent School District justifiably offers ALL employees the ability to work from home, the mandate of staggered work schedules, which the district had already implemented during the first wave of Covid-19, should be re-enacted.

The goal of this petition is to have Dr. Espinoza and the Socorro Independent School District reverse their stance on requiring support staff to report to work. This should be an easy decision considering the alarming rise in cases over the past week alone.