Fear and uncertainty prevail about the start of school in Mississippi

Fear, uncertainty and confusion are growing regarding the start of school in Mississippi.

As with many aspects of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, there is not only no consensus, there are as many opinions as there are “experts.”

There are many voices, and no two seem to be singing the same tune.

Medical authorities say don’t start school now

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the head of the Ole Miss medical school, said a week ago that school should not start until after Labor Day.

Dr. Eric Harding, a leading internal medicine and pediatrics specialist, bluntly stated late last week: “School shouldn’t start now.”

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of Univ. of MS School of Medicine

Harding, along with Dr. Shane Scott, heads the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Clinic (IMPC) in New Albany. He cited information published just last week in the “Emerging Infections Disease Journal.”

“This study showed that the age group that had the highest transmission rate to household contacts was the 10 to 19-year old age group,” said Dr. Harding.” The experts concluded that transmission will happen from the school age child to household contacts, therefore, refuting what previous, much smaller studies had reported.”

Dr. Harding also cited the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) as authority for his unequivocal warning that “school shouldn’t start now.”

Dr. Thomas E. Dobbs, the state’s top health officer said last week, ‘We are going to pay the price’ if Mississippi kids go back to school this week.

In light of these very recent warnings from Doctors Woodward, Harding and Dobbs, NEMISS.NEWS contacted two local school superintendents early Friday evening.

Union County schools reconsidering in light of new data

Russell Taylor, superintendent of the Union County School District, said, “We’ve been ahead of this all week. We have been looking at the stats from the Mississippi Department of Health.

“In light of the most recent data, we are reconsidering how we are going to start school. We plan to make an announcement Monday.”

The Union County Schools had previously announced plans to start classes a week from today, Monday, August 17th. NEMISS.NEWS will publish Superintendent Taylor’s announcement as soon as it comes available later today.

Dr. Eric Harding, MD, board-certified internist and pediatrician, IMPC New Albany

New Albany schools don’t intend to ‘change course’

New Albany Public Schools have already started classes. Classes in the city schools met Thursday and Friday, August 6 and 7.

NEMISS.NEWS also contacted Superintendent Lance Evans of the city school system last Friday, Aug. 7th. Evans said the city schools do not at present intend to change course based on the recent data.

“I promise you, there’s going to be just as much COVID on the 17th as on the 7th,” said Evans. “Whether it’s the 7th, the 17th, or the 27th, we’re still going to have issues we have to deal with.

“We transitioned over to the second phase of our plan, the hybrid schedule, and based on the number of kids who should be there we should be more than able to adequately distance our students.”

Evans said school went “really well” Thursday and Friday. “We have had very little trouble with kids not wanting to wear masks.

“Right now, there is no reason for us to change anything. Obviously, if something were to change and we would need to change, we would. I feel like we did the right thing.”

As of yesterday, Sunday, August 9th, Mississippi had had 637 COVID-19 deaths per million population. Only seven states in the U.S. have higher COVID deaths rates.

Public health vs. economic and political issues

The central question, of course, is what is best for public health and bringing the state’s raging coronavirus epidemic under control, compared to what is desirable politically and economically. And, as is always the case in political and economic arguments: “It depends on whose ox is getting gored.”

In households where both parents are working, the public schools in Mississippi and throughout the nation have become the main child-care resource for families during three-quarters of the year. Paying for day care if school is not in session is expensive.

Reducing household income by one parent stopping work to stay home taking care of the children, is an unacceptable hardship for many families.

New Albany Middle School

Considering the very recent data Dr. Harding cited regarding the high incidence of school-age children bringing coronavirus home to their parents and other members of the household, another question arises. What kind of economic burden will result from children infecting their families — not to mention the vulnerability to illness and death in the family.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has ordered masks be worn statewide.

He has ordered a few of the state’s 165 school districts not to start school before August 17th, one week from today. None of those districts are in Lee, Pontotoc or Union counties

However, Reeves left the decision on when to start school up to local school authorities in the great majority of the state’s school districts.

Will there be ‘push back’ from parents and teachers?

NEMISS.NEWS is as aware of instances in our coverage area in which parents have decided not to send their children to school. Some have decided to homeschool their children. Others do not have clear plans.

A state teachers’ organization asked during mid-July that starting school be delayed until after Labor Day. But the governor and state education department did not agree with those teachers.

How much push back will there be from teachers and parents? How many teachers may not report to their classrooms, and how many parents will hold their children out of school? There are no answers to those questions today.

However, if the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage in Mississippi during the coming several weeks as it has throughout July and August, those may be the hottest questions in the state.

Nearly half-a-million Mississippi school children and their parents; over 32,000 public school teachers in over 1,100 schools statewide are anxiously hoping for clarity and wise decisions from more than a thousand school board members and superintendents.

Or, of course, there is always the chance that the governor might step up to the line.

Dr Eric Harding: https://www.facebook.com/impcna/videos/980935059004872/