Mérida, Yucatán — About 435,000 students return to school Monday. So on the last weekend before school, and families are overwhelming the historic center to buy everything a student would need to return class.
Traffic chaos was reported downtown as parents looked for stationery, shoes and bags, and formed lines at snack bars and fast-food restaurants. Pedestrians were forced off the sidewalks and into traffic lanes to get by.
Prices for back-to-school supplies have reportedly held steady overall, despite currency fluctuations, because most products are locally manufactured.
In addition to the 435,000 students returning to school statewide, almost 27,000 teachers and 13,000 workers will resume their work in the 3,900 public schools.
Summer vacation was only six weeks, starting July 17. The first holiday is Sept. 16, the third Wednesday of the fall school calendar, followed by Monday, Nov. 16 and winter vacation Dec. 22-Jan. 6.
In Yucatán, Mérida leads in enrollment with 172,000 students, followed Valladolid with almost 20,000; 18,000 in Tizimín; 12,000 in Kanasín; and 11,800 each in Progreso and Uman.
