Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2020

COAST NOTE
We’ve been talking about the 2020 school year since the last semester of 2019 was abruptly cut short. What would the return to school look like? Would students be allowed back into the classroom?
Educational institutions across the Coast are doing their best to traverse these uncertain times, following CDC guidelines while o ering students the highest level of education they can. While some citizens have been hoping for a normal back to school start, some aren’t so sure they want their children around others just yet. Local schools are gearing up to make both options a reality for returning students.
As for the Gulfport School District, according to Superintendent Glen East, they have four di erent plans in place and are waiting to see what CDC guidelines have to say. For now, the plan remains to open the school to all students early this month, keeping an eye on the situation and adjusting the strategy as needed. However, East states, “Families may choose the virtual model as their full time education experience.”
Current CDC principles a rm that the more people
a student or sta member interacts with, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. Risk categories are ranked from lowest to highest with the lowest risk option being virtual-only classes and activities, and the highest being full-sized classes with minimal
social distancing and shared classroom supplies. At the moderate level, the CDC lists small, in person classes with students staying in the same group throughout the day, not changing classrooms and teachers.
Most schools are planning to go the moderate route, o ering low-risk options to students who wish to take extra safety precautions. Biloxi area schools are also giving families the option to choose “distance learning” if they are uncomfortable with standard procedures during this time. These students will be expected to commit and be active for one semester.
As of now, it looks like things will proceed as “normally” as they can. This school year will be business as usual, just with a mask on.
20 | August 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by
Jae Schifano