Thursday was the first day of school for students in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District, which means summer is officially over.

The day is an exciting day, but for many families, there are still some lingering concerns about safety in light of the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

“I think there’s always fears, right, especially with what’s been going on in our world recently. But we have to put our faith in the school, the staff, has learned in past experiences and they are putting all their efforts and training in themselves to go ahead and take action if anyone decides to attempt to harm out students,” said Mario Reyes, a parent of a student.

School officials said they have worked really hard to ensure that all safety and security measures are in place, and that the area needing upgrades have been improved. Thorough training and communication will continue to play out throughout the school year.

“I’ve been seeing a heavy police presence at the school over the summertime, so that gives me a little more reassurance on what’s going to be happening on what’s going down, so that makes me feel a little more comfortable,” said Alexander Gibson, a parent of student.

But it wasn’t all stress, at least for the students who were dropped off at John A. Sippel Elementary School. Many of them said they are more than ready for school to begin.

“He’s more excited than me, so I mean that makes it all worthwhile,” Gibson said.

Reyes agreed.

“To be able to watch her grow, and be excited to go from kindergarten to first grade. She sees it as a great step in her life, especially in school, and she enjoys it. So, she’s definitely excited for today,” Reyes said.

School officials said they are looking forward to an exciting new year, with a lot of new programs and extracurricular options to offer.

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