Students and faculty will not return to Robb Elementary School in the wake of last week’s tragic shooting in which a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers.
It is unclear whether the scrapped return is permanent and where lessons will be held for students who are traumatized by the shooting that left dozens of their classmates dead or wounded. The Washington Examiner reached out for clarification.
“We are working through plans on how to serve students on other campuses and will provide that information as soon as it is finalized. We are also working with agencies to help us identify improvements on all UCISD campuses,” Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell wrote in a letter on Wednesday.
TEXAS LAWMAKER SAYS HE SPOKE TO BIDEN ABOUT TEARING DOWN UVALDE SHOOTING SITE
The superintendent also vowed to continue providing counseling and support to “our families and staff for the foreseeable future.” He noted that funerals for the students and teachers murdered in the deadly rampage have already begun and thanked everyone who has been supportive of the community.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our teachers and students and hold each of their family members close to our hearts,” he wrote. “The outpouring of love and offers of help from the local community and across the nation has been extraordinary. We want to express our sincere gratitude for the remarkable support of the community, state, and nation.”
Some Texas officials have pushed to tear down the elementary school building, including Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who urged the city to construct a new facility, fearing the existing structure is stained with the blood of the 18-year-old gunman’s victims.
Almost a decade ago, Connecticut officials moved to demolish the Sandy Hook Elementary School building and replace it with a new one following the school shooting that left 28 dead, including the shooter. Officials are deliberating over plans for the Robb Elementary School building.
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Harrell stressed the school is cooperating with officials investigating the shooting. He will not comment on the investigation until it concludes. Uvalde school district police have faced scrutiny amid reports that they have not been responsive to requests from state investigations, but Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for UCISD, rebuffed those reports yesterday.
Law enforcement has faced backlash for its slow response to the shooting and discrepancies in its accounting of how events unfolded on the day of the shooting.
