SAN JOSE, CALIF. – At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, ESUHSD limited the ability to distribute 17 boxes of tissues a month to only four boxes, causing a commotion among students and school staff. 

During the wintertime and upcoming springtime, allergies begin to affect students all over by a great deal. When one gets the sniffles at school, they’ll stand to get a tissue. However, as of the past school year, that isn’t always the case. 

This issue did not come to light until recently during the allergy and cold season, though it had hit Silver Creek students hard. Previously, the school was allowed to receive 17 boxes of Kleenex a month from the district warehouse to distribute to the heads of each department. Now, they are limited to only purchasing four boxes. And being the second whole week in February, the school has already gone through two of the four boxes. 

The school has resorted to ordering from another distributor, Palace, since more than four boxes are needed for the number of students at Silver Creek. It is believed that Palace is on back order as well since the school had ordered boxes of tissue at the beginning of January and they still have not arrived. 

Previously, the school was spending about $6,120 for boxes of tissue each school year, but that amount has been cut and the school can only spend $1440 a school year.

When students came upon learning this information, they were displeased by it.

“Four boxes is not nearly enough to support a school of 3000 kids, it affects me because whenever I need it my teachers always say they never have any which is very inconvenient.” Says Kristy Dinh, a senior at Silver Creek High School. 

With the budget given to the school each year lowering, the issue can only worsen and more sleeves would be used instead of actual tissues.