San Marcos reflects on persevering through the pandemic at the State of the City

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

Resilience, innovative ideas and community strength were key phrases used throughout this year’s San Marcos State of the City. On Thursday, April 29, members of the community and local leaders attended the event to hear main speakers Mayor Jane Hughson and SMCISD Superintendent Michael Cardona discuss how they plan to move the city forward.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and winter storm Uri in February, the past year has proved very challenging for local businesses, community resources and residents.

“I’m so proud to be here today to talk about the perseverance and strength of our San Marcos citizens,” said Mayor Hughson.

Local businesses and community members discussed how they overcame the unique challenges necessary in the wake of a pandemic that changed everyone’s way of life seemingly overnight.

The San Marcos Public Library adjusted to the pandemic by providing modified pickup options that allowed patrons to check out an estimated 230,000 books. They also created programs to support parents who had to learn to be educators and developed resources for job seekers.

The Parks and Recreation Department made the necessary changes to support San Marcos residents’ physical and mental needs. They created a virtual recreation center and encouraged community members to safely enjoy the outdoors with interactive events such as a citywide game of Clue and parking lot bingo.

The Parks and Recreation Department staff also won the Texas Recreation Park Society Heroes Award for making more than 3,000 calls to senior community members.

The San Marcos Animal Shelter struggled as the pandemic left them with fewer volunteers and staffing gaps, making it difficult to care for all animals. But the shelter overcame those challenges and saw fewer animals brought to the shelter, more lost pets returned to families and adoptions increase by nearly 6.5%.

Mayor Hughson commended the way the community supported each other during the pandemic amid extreme regional growth.

“People are coming to central Texas and the greater San Marcos region continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the county,” said Mayor Hughson. “The San Marcos population continues to grow at over 65,000 strong, and we had 759 new single-family permits issued last year.”

Many small business owners spoke about how they were only able to stay afloat over the past year due to the loyalty and generosity of the San Marcos community. By finding creative solutions to operate safely, local businesses were able to stay safe and stay open.

“While we marvel at what we’ve worked together to overcome, we’re excited and encouraged for what lies ahead,” said Mayor Hughson.

Superintendent Cardona discussed how difficult the past school year has been since deciding to have fully remote teaching on March 24, 2020. Within a week of announcing remote learning, SMCISD organized curbside meals, distributed hundreds of WiFi hotspots and electronic device to students across the district.

A SMCISD educator said in a video shown at the State of the City, “my favorite thing about this school year was (learning) that change is okay and change is good. If we get stuck in the same routine over and over I think we lose the sense of ourselves. And this school year has forced us to dig deeper within ourselves and realize all that we’re truly capable of as human beings and as educators.”

District educators and students had to adjust to the new reality of virtual learning, leaving the school hallways empty and classrooms unused. Slowly, the district began reopening by utilizing personal protection equipment (PPE) and welcoming back the students who had missed interacting with their peers and teachers.

“This year has been hard, but in San Marcos, we can do hard things, said SMCISD Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations Andrew Fernandez. “In spite of a global pandemic and historic snowstorm, SMCISD gave back to the community that has given so much to us. We kept students and staff safe. We provided vaccines to SMCISD employees and we will begin providing vaccines to students.”

According to Superintendent Cardona, although schools are returning to normal, educators will spend the next few years addressing the social isolation and developmental setback children have experienced from not being in school.

“For the first time ever, I had 365 plus days of sleepless nights thinking, is the decision that I’m making going to harm someone? And I will say that a byproduct of this is that some of our children have harmed themselves because of social isolation,” said Superintendent Cardona. “And that’s my final challenge to you. We have a unique opportunity to actually put actionable steps into mental health and wellness.”

Although the San Marcos community has faced many challenges in 2020-2021, local leaders see a bright future ahead as the region continues to see growth and improvement in the innovation corridor.