SAN ANTONIO — Returning to “normal” has been a struggle for some students after navigating the worst of the pandemic. Harlandale ISD is equipping students with another tool to assess their mental health.

“Freshman year started off really good, then the pandemic,” McCollum High School senior Zachariah Saiz said.  

The last three years have been a blur for the seniors at McCollum High School.

“Everyone lost their social skills in a way,” said Trinity Reyna, a McCollum High School senior. “They explain it as becoming a senior overnight. It happened so fast. These four years flew by.”

Getting to the finish line looked different for the Class of 2023. Coronavirus affected the majority of their time in high school.

“It had more of an effect on me than I realized,” said Fabian Medina, a McCollum High School senior. “I kind of had a lot of anxiety going back to school.”

For Trinity Reyna, transitioning to a “normal” school year was a mental adjustment.

“I’m very outgoing,” Reyna said. “Coming back from COVID, I was introverted. I was so scared to talk to people, keeping my distance.”

Joana Lujan is Harlandale ISD’s coordinator of counseling.

“We’re seeing an increase in anxiety and stress with our students,” Lujan said, “from the social isolation they had during the pandemic.”

They’re piloting the text-based wellness check-in system, Early Alert. 

“It’s different than talking to a counselor or another human being,” Medina said. “Because it’s something you can spill your confessions to. You don’t have to worry about it telling someone else or judging you.”

According to the CDC, the rates of teen depression and anxiety doubled during the pandemic. Being proactive, Harlandale is the first school district in Texas to test the suicide prevention tool. Students rank how they’re feeling on a scale of one to 10 by just sending a text.

“We have students that may need additional outreach,” Lujan said. “We have students who may be students of concern and a third-level, a student in crisis.”

If the student’s mood is below average, they are sent helpful links. Or a reminder to dial 988 for the suicide lifeline. The district is alerted to follow up if someone is in crisis.

“You don’t want to suffer silently,” Saiz said. “You want the help so you can have a successful future.”

Reyna says she appreciates Early Alert’s weekly check-ins because not everyone has that support at home.

“Good to be asked rather than ignored,” Reyna said.