This week, Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Southcrest, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by San Diego's floods, wasn’t just a school. It was a safe house and the kids didn’t even know it.
“They're little,” First grade dual immersion teacher Jenna Pasimio said. “They don't have any phones or anything like that. So, we had no idea about the gravity of the situation.”
Rainy days have lower enrollment already. Monday was much worse.
The Great Flood of 2024
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“I normally have 24, but we only started about 13,” she said. “And throughout the day, I was just getting phone calls of students getting picked up and just leaving. And I ended the day with four students in my classroom.”
The school’s elevation saved it from the sudden rivers sweeping through homes. But school doesn’t last forever and eventually the kids had to go home.
For 30 families, there was no home.
“I had one student who lost her house and she's living in a hotel and she only as the clothes on her back,” Pasimio said. “She had tattered leggings and she's with her baby brother in a hotel.”
These days are gut-wrenching.
“We know they're not safe,” she said. “We know they don't have homes to go back to.”
Gerson Rodas’ son hasn’t been back to school all week. The first grader wanted to go back to school, but the flood ruined his ride there.
'We lost everything'
“We lost everything,” Rodas said. “Computers, shoes, clothes, everything. So, everything is messed up.”
Jennifer McNurlan delivered supplies during the school’s recess.
“I really don't have the words,” she said. “It's very, very sad. And I, I wish that our donations could do a lot more and hopefully that they do make some impact.”
By Friday, students understood what happened and the school remains their safe house.
Principal Francisco Santos said staff is doing everything they can to keep it that way.
How you can still help
Since Monday, Chavez Elementary has been overwhelmed with donations. So much so, they’re asking other schools to come get some items for themselves. Chavez also hosted a food and clothing donation drive for affected families at the school Saturday morning from 9 to 11 a.m.
The San Diego Unified School District is continuing to accept donations at their Office of Youth and Transition at 4100 Normal St. Annex 14. They say there is a need for cleaning and hygiene products.
