When Harlandale Independent School District in south San Antonio shuttered its doors in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, Melissa Casey's first thought about her students was, "How are all of their basic needs going to be met?" In the small district, 88% of schoolchildren are economically disadvantaged and almost 75% are at risk of dropping out. Harlandale administrators tried to smooth the transition to remote learning, lending students tablets, parking WiFi-enabled buses throughout the district and partnering with food banks to give out groceries and school supplies.
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