July 31, 2021 – San Antonio ISD’s Back-to-School Resource Fair today was well attended, with thousands of students receiving school supplies and other essentials. Families still needing supplies will learn additional ways to access these resources from their school principals.

“The need is great in our community,” said Elsa Griffin, director of SAISD’s Family and Community Engagement department. “We want to assure everyone that we will work with them in helping them access resources.”

During the fair, the district distributed 2,300 backpacks with school supplies; 2,000 pairs of shoes; 2,100 books; and 11,000 pairs of undergarments. More than 5,000 students received assistance with uniforms and about 100 students received free haircuts, with another 800 students receiving vouchers for future haircuts. 

Thousands of other supplies and resources were available from 80 exhibitors. About 2,000 bags of food from the San Antonio Food Bank were distributed to families.

During the fair, SAISD provided free masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. More than 7,000 attendees received free COVID tests, and an additional number also received free COVID vaccines.

As with other events where crowds are expected, the Fire Marshall was present to assist in ensuring the event did not exceed 40 percent capacity, allowing for social distancing. More than 2,000 bottles of Gatorade were distributed to people standing in line. Once the venue reached a maximum capacity of 40 percent, it was closed early to additional guests for safety reasons.