Uvalde's top cop rolled out a new playbook Monday in a bid to rebuild the community's trust in law enforcement. Police Chief Homer Delgado announced the ambitious "Guardian Initiative," a thorough overhaul aimed at improving police performances, upgrading their equipment, and fostering transparency and accountability. Chief Delgado, under the city council and city manager's direction, promised to conduct a complete review of the department's past actions, including interviewing every officer within the Uvalde Police Department (UPD). According to KENS5, Delgado said, "As officers, we are accountable to the people who depend on us, and we must demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism and responsiveness to carry out the core mission of every single officer – protecting the safety of the Uvalde community."

Meanwhile, San Antonio's celestial spectacle the total solar eclipse caused quite a stir on Monday, enough for many kids to play hooky. Schools across the city reported lower attendance rates as families opted to stay home or venture out to catch a view of the eclipse, despite the promise of organized eclipse watching events in schools. A spokesperson for the North East ISD told MySA that a the district saw a 22% absentee rate on eclipse day. Similarly, in San Antonio ISD, a steep drop from the usual 90% attendance rate to 70% was noted during the rare astronomical event.

San Antonio's eclipse fever led to increased absences in several school districts, although not all local districts shuttered their doors for the day. For example, Comal and Boerne districts gave students the day off, possibly contributing to the high absentee rates reported. Despite cloudy conditions that obscured clear views for some, the total solar eclipse captivated the region, prompting parents to take advantage of the educational opportunity it provided outside the classroom.

Barry Perez, a spokesperson for Northside ISD, put the numbers into a bit more perspective; the district had over 24,000 absences, or 23% of their students. This figure was nearly double the district's absences on the Monday following Easter. With the city's school districts nestled close to the path of totality, it's clear that for many, the call to witness the celestial dance was stronger than the ring of a school bell.