Hundreds of Sonora schools have been repaired, but many have been vandalized again
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Hundreds of schools in Sonora have been repaired after being unable to reopen earlier this year because of vandalism or lack of maintenance during the pandemic. The governor has promised that all schools will be ready to reopen in January.
More than 75% of schools identified as needing major infrastructure rehabilitation have been fixed up in recent months, according to Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo. That's 729 schools repaired out of of 940 identified as part of Sonora's "reactivate your school" program, which asked business leaders to help with school renovations.
That leaves about 210 schools in need of infrastructure projects in order to be ready for students to come back to the classroom. Another 182 schools have been broken into since being repaired, Durazo said, adding that while those robberies were partially a public safety issue, to keep schools in good condition, parents and students will need to help take care of them.
Families and communities have already played an important role in fixing up vandalized and abandoned schools, which many parents volunteering to clean classrooms and playgrounds last summer.
In Mexico, most schools went back to in-person classes for the first time since the start of the pandemic in August. But serious infrastructure issues meant less than half of Sonoran schools were ready at the time.
As more schools continue to reopen, Durazo also gave a reminder to students, parents and teachers, to follow safety precautions, including vaccination for those who are eligible and wearing masks in all indoor spaces.
So far, Mexico is only broadly offering vaccinations for people ages 15 and older.
