Zavala Elementary has a major problem. They discriminate against low income families, families that don’t have vehicles, families who are fortunate enough to live near their child’s school, but unfortunate enough to have to deal with unsympathetic staff. They do not allow parents to walk up to pick up their children, and these parents are forced to wait outside, in the heat or cold, until the very last child has gone, in order to pick up their children. Since the pandemic began, and long before that, many people in this area have been out of work, or unable to afford a vehicle. Rent prices in Odessa are high, and unemployment rates are out of control. These parents should not be forced to wait longer than others, simply because the school seems it inappropriate to pick up their children on foot. Additionally, many of these low income families are on strict time schedules for work, and can only take brief breaks in order to pick up their children. Zavala’s restriction on pick up in this manner impedes on the fragile schedules that parents must retain in order to make their lives manageable. This must be stopped. Join me in the fight against this discriminatory system. Force Zavala and ECISD to allow parents to pick up their children in a respectable, reasonable manner!