PORT ISABEL, Texas (ValleyCentral) — While thousands will make their way to South Padre Island on Wednesday for the seventh Starship launch by SpaceX, the traffic congestion will cause problems for students getting out of school at that same time.
Just as the rocket gets ready to launch around 4 p.m., the Port Isabel Independent School District will be releasing 2,000 students at the end of the school day. The dismissal time ranges from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and then there are afterschool activities to contend with.
The district says students who want to see the launch can view it from Tarpon Stadium, which is behind Port Isabel High School. Administrators say they are planning for longer bus routes on that day.
They are also asking parents to be patient. They anticipate students may get home anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour later than normal.
“Pickup times will remain the same at all our campuses,” said Juliette Barajas from Port Isabel ISD. “We are just asking that they be a little patient, that their pickup lines are going to take a little longer than usual due to the congested traffic on the highway.”
The district says they are grateful SpaceX is part of the community and the rocket launches are a great learning experience for their students.