AUSTIN, Texas — A global pandemic, a school shooting, and a shortage of teachers are all issues shaping the upcoming school year. For some, it's a lot to digest.
Lauren Clark is a parent to a rising kindergartener over at Austin ISD. While she's excited about this big milestone in her child's life, she also worries about safety.
"Has the State of Texas put systems into place to prevent people who shouldn't be inside of the schools, from getting into the schools," Clark asked. "I think there needs to be a more stringent process about who is getting let into the schools."
With the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, grandmother Gloria Villeda, who has a second grader at Del Valle ISD, said she's scared for the wellbeing of her grandson.
"Not having to go through such a trauma, like other kids have, like the Uvalde and other schools have gone through," Villeda said.
In addition to school safety, there is also the ongoing teacher shortage. Lauren Hinz is a mom to a second grader at Round Rock ISD and said her son already lost his first-grade teacher.
"There has been a lot of pressure on teachers. I think a lot of them are making decisions to say, ‘I can go work in the private sector, and not have to deal with a lot of these headaches,’" Hinz said. "I kind of wonder about the future pipeline of teachers, and how many people are wanting to become teachers."
Some other issues parents mentioned in the 2022 KVUE parent survey were fears of COVID-19 spreading, learning loss and the curriculum. Here's a look at the results of the survey:
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