SAN DIEGO — When CBS 8 walked with fifth graders from Perkins Elementary School on a field trip in 2017, the students couldn’t walk down the sidewalk.
Because of tents, trash, and human waste, they walked in the street – dodging cars. For the students, this was nothing new. They did it every day walking to and from school.
But Principal Fernando Hernandez says last June, when San Diego's Unsafe Camping Ordinance went into effect, everything changed.
“We used to deal with a lot of food containers, food trash, and feces, needles, old dirty clothing, but all of that has almost disappeared,” Hernandez said.
The new law prevents tents within two blocks of schools, and today, when CBS 8 returned to Perkins, there was a stark difference from our previous visit. We saw a little trash, but no tents.
“For our students, that walk to school from that direction, from the homeless shelters, they are able to walk to school by remaining on the sidewalk the entire way,” said Principal Hernandez.
That's right, he said homeless shelters. Nearly a third of the kids who attend Perkins, which has now expanded up to 8th grade, are homeless, so Principal Hernandez is sensitive to the situation.
“I am hoping that all of the people that were on the street are getting the services and the support they badly need, because they need a lot of help,” he said.
The changes are also being noticed in the classroom. Students are starting their day less anxious, not as distracted, and ready to learn.
“There’s a lot less stress,” Hernandez said. “The topic of homelessness on the street isn't brought up anymore in my parent meetings.”
Homelessness advocates argue the unsafe camping ordinance simply moves people from one spot to another. but Principal Hernandez says - for him - the safety of his students has to priority number one.
“They were subjected to violence cause some of the people would be fighting. A lot of foul language,” he said.
Now students are having a ball, and like the murals they painted on the walls, they're riding a wave to brighter days.
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