Indio High School Students Return To Class

Indio High School students returnedto Thursday class after having a week off.

“I’m really happy because it was really boring at home and now I’m back at school,” says student Maricela Anaya.

The school closed after a 17-year-old student came down with a probable case of swine flu, which later tested positive. Workers were brought in to clean and disinfect the school. It reopened after the Centers for Disease Control decided the virus was not as severe as originally thought.

“I’m not afraid. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. If it’s going to hit us, it’s going to hit us so I understand but I’m not afraid of it,” said student Juanita Lopez.

“I’m glad. I’m glad. They’ve been home long enough and it was during testing and everything is okay at the school and I don’t see why they shouldn’t go back,” saidTamie Espinoza, a mother of an Indio High School student.

Students are not required to make up the missed days. However, the district is asking the state board of education for an exemption since it would cause them to fall short of the minimum attendance requirement. Indio High School principal Rudy Ramirez says tacking on the extra5 days at the end of the school year could create a little havoc with scheduling.

“If we add the five days to the end of the school year it’s going to throw off summer school, it could throw off graduation, although I’m not going to change graduation day…I’m hoping the state, because of the emergency situation, does not require us to make up the five days,” Ramirez says.

The California Standards Test has been rescheduled for May 11th. The last day of school is June 12th.