NEISD launches counseling hotlines for students affected by ‘difficult time’

SAN ANTONIO – A North East Side Independent School District counseling hotline will open this week for students with questions and concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The hotline will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting March 23, the district said.

NEISD wanted to provide the service for students even with campuses closed.

“We are committed to providing a direct line of support to our students during this difficult time,” Superintendent Dr. Sean Maika said in a news release. “Our counselors are only a phone call away through our support line and will be a constant support to our NEISD family regardless of the circumstances.

"The mental health of our students, teachers and staff remains a top priority.”

Map: Where San Antonio-area students can find free school meals during closures

Support lines can be seen here. Counselors will also be available for students via email, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Google Classroom and Smore.

All Bexar County public school districts are closed due to COVID-19 and the promotion of social distancing.

San Antonio school districts extend closures amid emergency over coronavirus

As a result, several schools have offered free meals to students. See a map of where students can get school meals here.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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