AA Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Personal Care Consultation

×
TESTIMONIALS

“I work for this team and it's a wonderful team , great communication and support for our clients, their family members and our caring team of staff .”

Antoinette G.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Ken and Bonnie are wonderful people to help care for your loved ones. their staff was so caring to my mother and so nice to my family I highly recommend them to take care of your loved ones. I think there ought to be more than just five stars to give them”

Mark A.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Ken and Bonnie were wonderful to work with. They were able to provide my mother with care and a very short notice. Their staff was some of the most caring people that I've ever met. Not only were they wonderful to my mother but also to my family. I would highly recommend using them.”

Mark A.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Very professional and welcoming people so I would definitely recommend my friends and family to Always Best Care in Boerne.”

Laurie K.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“The owner is so understanding and supportive of how I want my loved ones cared for. He and his staff actually listen to what I would like done for my parents. Very thoughtful, very professional and very caring. It’s such a relief to have help in caring for my loved ones”

Kristen B.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“ALWAYS BEST CARE is certainly a warm & caring business owned & operated by Ken Thomas. I certainly would recommend them for you or your loved ones excellent care.”

Shirley S.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Kenneth is kind, patient, experienced and knowledgeable. We are thankful to him for all his efforts and for going above and beyond.”

Chae S.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“For those who are searching for qualified caregivers for their loved ones, contact Ken Thomas at Always Best Care Senior Services. Mr. Thomas provides an authentic and professional guiding hand when discussing available services for your precious senior family members. When it is time for a beloved senior to receive assistance, Mr. Thomas understands the importance of providing trustworthy and quality support.”

Melissa C.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Ken leads his Always Best Care Senior Services Agency with compassion for his clients and their families. He is a local senior care expert and leader in his community. If you are need of assistance in navigating your local senior care options, then do not hesitate to give Ken a call!”

Kelly B.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“Kenneth is knowledgeable and trustworthy. I can’t recommend him enough. You’re in good hands with Kenneth.”

Chae S.
×
TESTIMONIALS

“I will be forever grateful for the love you showered upon us and my grandmother”

Jill &.
 In-Home Care Leakey, TX

How does In-home Senior Care in Leakey, TX work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

Request More Informationright-arrow-light
 Senior Care Leakey, TX

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Leakey, TX, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Leakey, TX gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Aid and Attendance benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Leakey, TX

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Leakey,TX understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers Leakey, TX

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

01

An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

02

Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

03

Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in Leakey, TX

The king of Texas swimming holes discovers the hidden wonders of the Nueces River

“The smaller the town, the more people want to visit,” he noted, as we headed north of town to Camp Wood Springs, aka Old Faithful Springs, a couple hundred yards from the river. “Until two years ago, this was the sole source of drinking water for the town,” Holder said of the gin-clear water in the small pond.Holder guided me to Barksdale, four miles north of Camp Wood, to look at more springs. We took Ray McDonald Ranch Road off SH 55 past a low-water bridge and across a field of white rubble deposited by the...

“The smaller the town, the more people want to visit,” he noted, as we headed north of town to Camp Wood Springs, aka Old Faithful Springs, a couple hundred yards from the river. “Until two years ago, this was the sole source of drinking water for the town,” Holder said of the gin-clear water in the small pond.

Holder guided me to Barksdale, four miles north of Camp Wood, to look at more springs. We took Ray McDonald Ranch Road off SH 55 past a low-water bridge and across a field of white rubble deposited by the October 2018 floods. The actual river was a thin channel maybe 20 feet wide in the rubble, wedged against a low limestone shelf. As the westernmost Hill Country river, constantly rechanneled by big floods that periodically tear through the basin, the Nueces’ riparian landscape is minimalist: white rocks of all sizes, with occasional stands of hackberry, sycamore, oak, and pecan. It reminded me of the Greek islands.

Holder told me this was one of his favorite places on the river to visit. We parked and I had a swim. The water was brisk for a Texas river in August and practically see-through with almost unlimited visibility. A few small bass and cichlids congregated around rare patches of vegetation.

If I lived here, I’d swim laps every day I could, I thought, as I chugged down and up the narrow channel. The water was that close to perfection. While I swam, Holder read Paul Horgan’s book Great River, about the Rio Grande. “I can spend two hours here every day, easy,” he said.

Compared to Hill Country rivers to the east, the Nueces is relatively unpeopled. The dearth of attractions beyond the water is no liability; it’s an asset.

The next stop was the former site of Mission San Lorenzo de La Santa Cruz, just north of the Camp Wood town limits on the west side of SH 55. Situated on a small ridge above the east bank of the Nueces River, the empty but overgrown grounds sandwiched between two rural residences would have been easy to miss if not for seven flagpoles by the highway. “Those are the six flags over Texas,” Holder said. “Plus, the Lipan Apache had their own flag.”

The water was brisk for a Texas river in August, and practically see-through with almost unlimited visibility. If I lived here, I’d swim laps every day I could, I thought, as I chugged down and up the narrow channel. The water was that close to perfection.

The site was originally excavated in 1962 by Curtis Tunnell and a Texas Memorial Museum field crew from the University of Texas at Austin. Over the past two summers, it has been reexamined by Tamra Walter of Texas Tech University along with the Texas Archeological Society, which had 300 volunteers camping near the location while doing excavation work. Interpretive signage will be installed, Holder promised, as a manner of explaining the site’s deep connection to the river.

Back in Camp Wood, we turned west and followed a dirt road maybe a half-mile to The Quince. This is the town’s sparkling swimming hole, hollowed from a bed of gravel by the sycamore-shaded banks of the Nueces and named for its 15-foot depth. Heading south on SH 55, we hit water crossings for the next 19 miles. On the dirt path of County Road 416 South, the southern extension of Wes Cooksey Park Road, Holder suddenly cautioned, “Slow down, slow down. STOP!”

The road abruptly ended. A 50-foot-long low-water bridge, built five years ago, had both ends washed out by the October 2018 deluge. The route was impassable. The washed-out bridge is now a choice slab for river swimming.

Nine miles south of Camp Wood, we stopped at a clearing on the east side of the highway with four historical markers, three of them faded and tilted. The markers identified the second Spanish mission in Nueces Canyon, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria del Cañón. Unlike Mission San Lorenzo, Señora de la Candelaria completely disappeared as the adobe eroded into the terrain. Holder turned around and pointed across the highway. “That’s Montell,” he said.

Back when I conjured my first “Top Ten Swimming Holes in Texas” list, for the June 1985 issue of Texas Monthly, I had one major omission. Liz Rogers, then a hard-charging attorney in El Paso, told me I should have written about her family place on a creek that fed the Nueces in her hometown of Montell. It was the best swimming hole anywhere, she contended. I couldn’t include Montell, I told her, since it was on private property. More than 40 years later, making my way downriver from swimming hole to swimming hole, I appreciated Rogers’ passion for the water.

The heart of the settlement of Montell is a stout, rectangular old stucco building identified as the Montell Country Club. Built as a one-room schoolhouse in the early 1920s, the building was converted into a community center after the school closed. “That country club is the reason I had no idea that country clubs usually connote wealth,” Rogers told me. “The canyon can be insular,” she allowed. “But it was a beautiful place to grow up. We were surrounded by people that pushed us and cared about us.”

Holder and I drove 9 miles south to Nineteen Mile Crossing, where Nueces Canyon flattens. We then looped back to Camp Wood and Leon Klink Street, just west of Nueces Street. Leon Klink Street was named for the pilot and airplane owner who flew with 22-year-old Charles Lindbergh when their Canuck biplane accidentally landed in a field north of Camp Wood in 1924.

“This was where the plane landed, crashed, and took off,” Holder explained while slow-cruising Leon Klink Street. He pointed out the vacant site of Warren Puett’s hardware store, which the biplane crashed into while attempting takeoff. Lindbergh and Klink were forced to stick around and wait for a propeller replacement and materials for wing repair. “That was the two-story Fitzgerald Hotel where Klink and Lindbergh stayed,” Holder said, pointing to a one-story, blue-green house behind a white picket fence. Three years after the Camp Wood ordeal, Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

The past in Nueces Canyon remains shrouded in a tangle of overgrowth and mystery. But I didn’t spend too much time wondering about it. There was more swimming to do.

The naming of rivers, along with mountains, valleys, and other natural landmarks, is often a perk reserved for their conquerors. That’s why you never hear about the Chotilapacquen, as the Nueces was known to the Coahuiltecan-speaking locals. They were defeated by the Spanish, whose name prevailed.

The Spanish explorer Alonso de León named it “Nueces” for the abundant pecan groves he observed along the river’s banks. Other Spanish explorers mapped the river upstream from Corpus Christi Bay across the Brush Country of South Texas to the westernmost canyon of the Hill Country and its headwaters, 2,400 feet above sea level and 315 miles away. Along the journey upstream, the river disappeared for stretches. Around present-day Uvalde, the water was startlingly clear and surprisingly abundant. Upstream, the river frequently vanished under piles of gravel and rocks, again and again, only to reappear a few hundred yards later.

The early Spanish explorers chose a location 30 miles downstream from the headwaters, just downstream from Camp Wood Springs, which provided a constant source of water. There, in January 1762, Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz was founded by a Spanish commander with the help of a Franciscan missionary. The mission aimed to spread Christianity while offering shelter and protection to the Lipan Apache, who were being harassed by Comanche and other hostile tribes. The establishment of the mission—at least 14 adobe and limestone structures—came four years after Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá near present-day San Saba was destroyed by the Comanche. The Comanche were angered by the alliance the Lipan Apache, their enemy, made with the Spanish.

Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria del Cañón, a companion mission 10 miles south, was established two weeks after San Lorenzo. Within seven years, both were abandoned. Two smallpox epidemics, Comanche attacks, and the realization that the Lipan Apache weren’t interested in converting to Christianity prompted the retreat. The closings in Nueces Canyon marked the beginning of the end of the Spanish empire’s expansion into Texas from Mexico.

Following the end of the Texas Revolution, in 1836, Mexico regarded the Nueces River as the southern border of the breakaway territory. That is, until the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, formalizing the southern boundary as the Rio Grande. In 1857, the U.S. Army established Camp Wood, near the site of Mission San Lorenzo, as a deterrent to Native American raids. But the camp was abandoned at the start of the Civil War. The town of Camp Wood was eventually founded in 1921 as the railhead for logging cedar.

The past in Nueces Canyon remains shrouded in a tangle of overgrowth and mystery. But I didn’t spend too much time wondering about it. There was more swimming to do.

Leakey beats Gorman with balanced offensive attack in Class 1A Division I quarterfinal

Leakey 68, Gorman 36BRADY — Hunter Williams and Abel Montoya combined to run for five TDs, while Montoya threw for two more as Leakey beat Gorman 68-36 in a Class 1A Division I state quarterfinal playoff game Friday at Bulldog Stadium.Williams, the Eagles' starting spread back, ran for TDs of 3, 11 and 1 yards in leading Leakey to a 26-20 halftime lead.Williams was hurt on the opening drive of the second half and left the game with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter.Montoya, a freshman, mov...

Leakey 68, Gorman 36

BRADY — Hunter Williams and Abel Montoya combined to run for five TDs, while Montoya threw for two more as Leakey beat Gorman 68-36 in a Class 1A Division I state quarterfinal playoff game Friday at Bulldog Stadium.

Williams, the Eagles' starting spread back, ran for TDs of 3, 11 and 1 yards in leading Leakey to a 26-20 halftime lead.

Williams was hurt on the opening drive of the second half and left the game with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter.

Montoya, a freshman, moved from quarterback to spread back and threw a 17-yard TD pass to Trace Lackey on the drive.

He would go on to run for TDs of 46 and 3 yards in the quarter, while adding a 23-yard TD pass to Trace Wooten late in the quarter as the Eagles blew the game open for a 52-20 lead.

Junior Madera had TD runs of 43 and 8 yards for Gorman, while J.T. Warren also booted a 28-yard field goal — all in the first quarter.

After being shutout for two quarters, the Panthers got a 50-yard TD run by Marco Ramirez in the final quarter, while Justice Fischer threw a 4-yard TD pass to Bryce Petree.

But Lackey ran 2 yards for a TD, and Taylor Pannell returned an interception 25 yards for another as Leakey advanced to the state semifinals in the program's first year as a six-man team after dropping from 11-man.

Turning point: Gorman led 20-12 with 47 seconds left in the first quarter, but Leakey scored twice in the second quarter, while pitching a shutout. The Eagles got the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard TD run by Williams with 30 seconds left in the first half. Leakey also scored on the opening possession of the second half, while also shutting the Panthers down in the third quarter.

Player of the game: Abel Montoya, spread back, Leakey – The freshman, who began the year on the JV, provided a spark after the loss of Williams. He ran for two TDs and threw for two more.

Key stat: Leakey forced Gorman to turn the ball over on downs on four consecutive drives during a stretch in the second and third quarters. In that time, the Eagles went from a 20-12 deficit to a 54-20 lead with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter. Leakey also recovered a fumble on a kickoff during that span to set up a TD.

What this means: Leakey (12-0) advances to play Milford (11-1) in the state semifinals. Milford beat Gilmer Union Hill 51-38. Gorman ends its season at 8-5. It’s the furthest the Panthers have gone in the playoffs since dropping to six-man four years ago. This was only their third season of postseason eligibility as a UIL six-man team.

Second-year Gorman coach Jeb Dixon said: “I’m proud of my kids. My kids fight, and I’m proud of that. I love them to death. They’re going to be great young men when they grow up.”

Leakey coach Shannon Williams, who coached at Zephyr the five previous years, said: “Defense has played well all year long. I think we’ve given up an average of 18 points a game. If we kick PAT’s tonight, this one’s over early.”

18 Photos That Capture Central Texas Life in the 70’s

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom 1971 to 1977 the Environmental Protection Agency, with the help of freelance photographers nationwide, began a project called "Documerica" to photograph and document the state of the environment and daily life to be used as a baseline to compare with future life. Over 15,000 photographs were taken and saved to the National Archives.One such freelance photographer, Marc St. Gill took over 200 photos in and around Leakey, Texas and the Garner State Park area. What remains today of those photos is a slic...

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom 1971 to 1977 the Environmental Protection Agency, with the help of freelance photographers nationwide, began a project called "Documerica" to photograph and document the state of the environment and daily life to be used as a baseline to compare with future life. Over 15,000 photographs were taken and saved to the National Archives.

One such freelance photographer, Marc St. Gill took over 200 photos in and around Leakey, Texas and the Garner State Park area. What remains today of those photos is a slice of 1970's Texas Hill Country life with the original captions, written by St. Gill. We've retouched these photos to restore some of their original color, which tends to be lost over the decades.

Campers in Garner State Park — July 1972

Leakey Residents. The Harmonica Player Is 93 Years Old — July 1972

Leakey Store Owners — July 1972

Miss Junior Texas Shown with Friends in Leakey, Texas, Her Home Town, near San Antonio — May 1973

Flickr/The U.S. National Archives

Interior of a Local Gas Station in Leakey, Texas, During the Noon Hour, near San Antonio — May 1973

Deer Hunters Relax between Kills at Their Permanent Camp in an Almost Inaccessible Part of the Forest. They Set Up the Camp through the Use of Jeeps and Airlifts — November 1972

Sunday Services in Leakey — July 1972

Leakey's Church of Christ after Sunday Services — July 1972

Teenage Couple Embrace on the Bank of the Frio Canyon River near Leakey, Texas, and San Antonio — May 1973

Young Man Picks Leaves from His Girl's Hair after They Had Embraced on the Banks of the Frio Canyon River near Leakey, Texas and San Antonio —May 1973

Boy and Girl Smoking Pot During an Outing in Cedar Woods near Leakey, Texas. (Taken with Permission) One of Nine Pictures near San Antonio — May 1973

Group of Teenagers in the Town of Leakey, Texas, near San Antonio, May 1973

Teenage Girls Wading the Frio Canyon River near Leakey Texas, While on an Outing with Friends near San Antonio — May 1973

Morris Fisher, Owner of the Local Grocery and Drugstore — November 1972

Interior of the Local General Store in Leakey, Texas, near San Antonio — May 1973

Main Street of Leakey — November 1972

Drugstore at Leakey, Texas, During the Noon Hour, near San Antonio — May 1973

Fur Skins of Fox, Raccoon and Bobcat Being Prepared for Market in Leakey, Texas, near San Antonio — December 1973

Now Watch: 20 Things All Texans Have Done at Least Once

Texas school district shuts down due to COVID-related 'personnel challenges'

On Saturday, August 28, Leakey Independent School District, which is about an hour and 45 minutes west of San Antonio, near Uvalde, announced its brief closure on its Facebook page.LISD stated it would remain closed through September 7 due to "personnel challenges brought on by COVID-19. The students will not be having remote instruction," it added.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adThe district does not enforce face masks but does encourage them, according to COVID-19 policy on its ...

On Saturday, August 28, Leakey Independent School District, which is about an hour and 45 minutes west of San Antonio, near Uvalde, announced its brief closure on its Facebook page.

LISD stated it would remain closed through September 7 due to "personnel challenges brought on by COVID-19. The students will not be having remote instruction," it added.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

The district does not enforce face masks but does encourage them, according to COVID-19 policy on its website.

"Due to the ongoing community struggle with COVID-19 and its variants, we no longer have the instructional staff, or the substitutes required to provide a quality education to the students of Leakey ISD," the district wrote in a public statement.

The district is, however, allowing all extracurricular activities to proceed if there are adequate personnel to manage the program. It includes competitions and practices.

"Though we do have some students out on quarantine, and that number is increasing incrementally, we do not have widespread outbreaks of the virus amongst our student population," LISD stated.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Leakey ISD is part of Real County, which has 23 active cases and 14 deaths as of August 29, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The population of Leakey is 642 as of 2019, according to the United States Census Bureau.

The district isn't the only one shutting down due to a coronavirus pandemic. Last week, CNN reported Iraan, an oil field town of 1,200 people in West Texas, near Fort Stockton, closed its school district and local businesses after its COVID-19 positivity rate hit 42 percent.

Read more from Priscilla

- Stunning views without the crowds at San Antonio's Crownridge Canyon Natural Park

- San Antonio angler catches 'bucket list' 9.5-foot tiger shark at Port Aransas

- 'Exciting to see': San Antonio anime scene continues to rise to a mainstream level

Stay up to date on the latest stories from San Antonio and beyond by signing up for our newsletters here.

Leakey to Drop To 6-man Class After February 2018 UIL Realignment

LEAKEY, Texas — On Oct. 11, Morton High School dropped to the 6-man classification with approval by the UIL as an “outlaw” program that will play exhibition games against opponents in the new classification for the remainder of the 2017 season.As a part of the agreement, Morton forfeited all of its District 3-2A Division II games — primarily due to lack of health and difficulties associated with fielding an 11-man football team. Count Leakey High School as the newest team to join the ranks of the newly or expec...

LEAKEY, Texas — On Oct. 11, Morton High School dropped to the 6-man classification with approval by the UIL as an “outlaw” program that will play exhibition games against opponents in the new classification for the remainder of the 2017 season.

As a part of the agreement, Morton forfeited all of its District 3-2A Division II games — primarily due to lack of health and difficulties associated with fielding an 11-man football team. Count Leakey High School as the newest team to join the ranks of the newly or expectedly designated.

The Eagles, currently 1-6 overall and 0-1 in District 14-2A Region IV, are reportedly on the move per Superintendent Barbara Skipper. A recent press release from Leakey ISD stated its intent to move the football program back to the 6-man/1A football classification after a unanimous school board decision Wednesday, citing a lack of size as a justification for the move.

“Serious injuries have plagued the Leakey Eagle Junior High and High School teams this year as they faced older and larger players on the other teams,” said board member and Athletic Director Donnie Dutton.

In the past 20 years, the Eagles have a record of 162-259, with one season over .500. This season, teams like Hubbard and Wortham, were playing 6-man games with their JV teams while others like Mount Enterprise were forced to cancel district games due to lack of numbers.

When football opens this Friday, only 16 Leakey players will be able to suit up and step onto Eagle Stadium.

Next week, Dutton and Skipper must file the district’s intent to not only play UIL Football next school year but also whether or not it would be a 6-Man or 11-Man Football program. In February, the UIL will release which teams Leakey will play next school year in six-man football.

They are in a similar situation that Nueces Canyon and Medina ISDs faced when they successfully transitioned to 6-Man football and its faster pace and 80-yard fields in 2016.

Leakey, though, has a history of success at the sub-11-man football classifications. In the 1970’s the program was a powerhouse in the state’s now-defunct 8-Man football league. Dutton, as well as Principal DeeAnna Blanton, too, have experience on the 6-man level.

Blanton’s previous school, Zephyr, finished 9-3 overall and reached the UIL 1A regional final in 2016. The Bulldogs are undefeated through six games in 2017.

*Additional reporting by Marcus Matthews-Marion

Brought To You By

Disclaimer:

This website publishes news articles that contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The non-commercial use of these news articles for the purposes of local news reporting constitutes "Fair Use" of the copyrighted materials as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.