A message located at the bottom of the Northside ISD website home page hints at change on the horizon. The district is giving parents until the end of the month to decide if they want their child back inside a classroom.
It's the latest move from the district as San Antonio authorities mark the city as being in the "Safe" threshold in regards to coronavirus spread. But for some north-side educators, safe isn't the word they'd use as more students return to the classroom.
"We've had teachers call us and say, 'What are my options?'" said Wanda Longoria, president of the NISD chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.
Over the last few weeks, Longoria says, she's received about 30 calls from members considering resignation or early retirement. According to district numbers, at least 19 have gone through with it.
"We've had many phone calls the last few weeks of teachers who have been forced into retirement due to the fact that they're aging and they do have underlying conditions, and the district did not give them the work-from-home approval."
Of the departures in the last month, NISD says 15 were resignations while four were retirements. In the same window of time last fall, the district saw 11 resignation and no retirements.
It may come down to the decision that's dominated instructors' minds across the county: Continue earning a paycheck and risk COVID-19 exposure, or stay safe without a job?
"To hear teachers have to make that choice it's just beyond heartbreaking," Longoria said.
While Northside ISD said it could expand on the reasoning behind these departures, a statement provided by district officials reads, in part: "We respect these decisions and appreciate the years of service provided to NISD and to our students and families."
But for Longoria, as the calls of concern stream into her office, one thought often lingers.
"After the pandemic, who will be left to teach our students?"