Panic struck the senior class at El Paso High School on Nov. 2 when Principal, Dr. Sandra Rocha, announced that their SAT tests had been lost by UPS after the packages flew off a truck on Mesa Street.

Later that day, a call was sent to parents by Assistant Principal, Dr. Michael Warmack explaining what happened, adding that the incident had been reported to both UPS and to College Board.

“Last Saturday I was at home and I got a text from our principal saying somebody at Andress had seen the SAT Score Sheets flying on Mesa Street,” Warmack said. “Her, our testing coordinator, and a few others rushed down and confirmed that they were indeed our scoresheets.”

Initially, administration was concerned that they had made an error in the packaging process, even more so after seniors had been told the news, and assumed it may have been the school as well.

“College board is just as stunned as we are,” EPHS Testing Coordinator Maria Monroy said. “All we can assume is that it must’ve fallen off the truck somehow.”

All but 55 of 315 tests were recovered, Ms. Monroy added that the recovered material has been compromised and cannot be submitted for scores.

After receiving an in-person apology from UPS officials, the school moved to find solutions for the students affected.

The options offered have been late registration for the Dec. 3 SAT, and potential fee waivers for students registering for the ACT. However, Many students were less concerned with the verdict, and more with their early college applications.

“Since COVID happened, a lot of schools have started making the SAT optional,” College Readiness Coordinator, Jessica Simpson said. “So for the students who wanted to submit those SAT scores to give them that extra jump, that’s who’s being affected.”

These options don’t recover the test scores some students needed for early admissions. Along with this, some students don’t have the funding. Many students expressed their frustration with having to pay over $50 to retest.

“We’re already spending money on application fees, savings for college, and college in general,” senior Regina Orozco said. “A lot of kids don’t have that kind of money. I have a job and I don’t have that kind of money.”

Along with money, some seniors are concerned for their safety given the sensitive information national test documents carry. 

“Your name, your number, your email, your address, your date of birth are all just scattered around Mesa,” senior Holden Convertino said. “It just makes me uncomfortable and concerned and I want to know if there’s a solution to the problem.”

The story made national headlines as it was reported on the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News to name a few.

A UPS spokesperson said in an email sent to NBC News they are working with the school to “resolve the situation.”

School administrators haven’t heard from the College Board on how to recover or retest for seniors yet. 

“As far as what’s going to happen, we still don’t know,” Dr. Warmack said. “We haven’t heard any news. But we are trying.”