In the next days and weeks, public schools in Mississippi will begin reopening for the fall. A closer look at how several school districts plan to educate students while keeping everyone involved safe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
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In the next days and weeks, public schools in Mississippi will begin reopening for the fall. MPB’s Desare Frazier takes a look at how several school districts plan to educate students while keeping everyone involved safe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Corinth School District Superintendent Lee Childress has some 40 years of experience in the field of education.
“This is starting my 20th year as superintendent and I never believed I’d be facing what we’re facing with the reopening of schools this year,” said Childress.
Childress along with more than 140 school districts across Mississippi are confronting reopening schools as coronavirus cases continue to spread. He says schools in Corinth begin next Monday, July 27. Parents can opt for in-person classes at the elementary, middle and high school or virtual learning. The superintendent discusses social distancing.
Corinth School District
“Particularly in the elementary grades, we can come close to doing the 6 foot social distancing with our class sizes. We’ll be able to social distance desks in our upper grades, however we may not quite get to the six feet but we’re going to get as close as we can,” said Childress.
Childress says they’re supplying students with at least two masks along with teachers who will also receive face shields. Among the challenges for schools holding traditional classes is the costs of hand sanitizer, keeping facilities disinfected and helping with personal protective equipment. Nathan Oakley--the Chief Academic Officer for the state department of education says schools can apply for some of the $169 million in CARES ACT relief money sent to MDE.
“That approval process is underway now. Once those approvals have been made districts can start drawing those funds. I would share the funding request can go back as far as mid-March, to the date of that emergency declaration,” said Oakley.
That’s when President Trump issued the national emergency declaration. Superintendent Jason Harris with the Columbia School District says they’ve received $600,000 to help with masks, sanitizing and related needs for 1,700 students, plus teachers and staff. He says their survey found 70 percent of parents want their children to return to in-person classes. They start school August 4, with traditional classes and virtual learning at their four schools. Harris says students need normalcy.
Columbia School District
“One of the things that we find is that our schools provide a more consistent and safer environment than what many of our students experience on a day to day basis. So, hopefully maybe getting our students back to school will hopefully alleviate some of that because you’re going to be in a safer, cleaner environment,” said Harris.
Harris says precautions include screening children’s temperatures as they get off busses and are dropped off by their parents, limiting class transitions and putting sanitizing stations throughout the district. He’s focused on helping students understand this is a “new normal” that has to be taken seriously. Harris says if one student or teacher becomes infected it could mean shutting down the school, but he’s hoping that doesn’t happen.
“We have small groups so our classes, there’s not a lot of transition, there’s not a lot of exposure. So, if one student was to contract it we would follow the CDC and health guidelines into how they would have exposed other people so, in hopes we wouldn’t have to close an entire school,” said Harris.
“We’re actually encouraging families who can to educate their children virtually because that allows more opportunity for us to distance,” said Greene.
Errick Greene is Superintendent of the second largest school district in Mississippi-which is Jackson Public Schools. He oversees more than 55 facilities. Greene says their survey found more parents want virtual learning and he supports that. Hinds County has had more than 3600 cases of Covid 19 and is under a mandatory mask order. Greene says they will be offering both in-person classes and virtual learning when school starts August 10. He says if there is an outbreak, they will default to virtual learning.
“That could be printed packets. It could be our dedicated Youtube channel where we’ve already uploaded read-out-louds, many lessons and that sort of thing. It could be on our Comcast Cable channel where folks can tune in and watch some lessons there,” said Greene.
All school districts must submit their reopening plans to their local school boards by July 31. MDE and Governor Tate Reeves will review them as well.
