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Covid forces Mississippi schools into virtual learning

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K-12 schools reopened across Mississippi this week. Omicron has forced many into virtual learning.

A school nurse told students and families on Tuesday there were so many cases of COVID-19 in the school it was “almost impossible to contact trace” and for all seventh through 12th graders to assume they’d been exposed as a result. 

The situation at West Lincoln Attendance Center in Brookhaven, where there is not a mask mandate – and its quick transition to a hybrid model of instruction following the holiday break – is not unique. 

Schools are battling staffing and substitute teacher shortages, closures and a large number of student absences as teachers and administrators attempt to kick off the spring semester.

Omicron, the dominant and extremely contagious strain of the coronavirus, is making its way across the state, and schools are not spared. The state saw a record-high number of new cases on Thursday with over 8,000 Mississippians testing positive in a single day.

The Department of Health reported 1,541 teachers and staff who had tested positive across 633 schools for the week of Jan. 3-7, the highest number of positive staff reported at any point in the pandemic. 

On top of logistical and health challenges, school leaders are also dealing with students and families’ COVID-19 fatigue. Oxford School District Superintendent told his school board last week he wasn’t sure the community “would stomach another mask mandate.” A board member made a motion to require masks anyway, but other board members did not support it. 

On Thursday, the district announced it would be closed on Friday and extend the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

“Today, we have a total of 107 staff members out and 58 of those are classroom teachers,” a memo sent to parents and students stated. “… WIth so many employees out, it is difficult to provide the quality of instruction our students are accustomed.”

Roberson and another district-level administrator had been acting as elementary school principals earlier in the week after four administrators tested positive for COVID-19, the district’s public relations official told Mississippi Today. 

The Yazoo County School District delayed its in-person start date an additional two days after more than 10 faculty and staff members were either quarantined or sick with the virus, said Superintendent Ken Barron. 

All students and staff returned to campus this week, and each school has seen hundreds of absent students in the first three days of school. 

Barron, along with many other school leaders, emphasize they’re doing everything they can to keep kids in school, including the mask mandate that has been in place since the beginning of the school year.

“As long as we have enough adults up here to hold school, we will be here,” he said. 

Teachers and staff who got vaccinated by the end of last year were eligible for a financial incentive, which Barron said has helped reduce infection and quarantine numbers in that group. The district has also continued to require masks all year.

“We are trying everything we can to stay open,” he said. 

In the DeSoto County School District, where masks are not mandatory, Superintendent Cory Uselton said the district’s biggest challenge right now is staffing issues. Despite increasing substitute teacher pay this year, they have still had to utilize teacher’s assistants as substitutes and some teachers have had to forego their planning periods to cover a colleague’s class.

A few classrooms across the district are currently quarantining, following the Department of Health’s guidance that a classroom should isolate if three students test positive, but Uselton said at this time there have not been enough clusters to necessitate switching an entire school to remote learning. 

He said all teachers have been told to be prepared to pivot to virtual learning within 24 hours notice, and said that while this surge has been tough on both teachers and students, he is proud of the work teachers are doing to continue educating despite the circumstances. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 25-27

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-25 09:48:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 25-27) features a variety of events across Central and Pine Belt regions. Highlights include MiraGotSoul at Vibe Studio in Jackson, a community Dinner and Movie in Clinton, and the Natchez Kite Festival. Enjoy live performances with Sweet Lizzy Project in Natchez and the New Bourbon Street Jazz Band in Clinton. Family-friendly activities include the Native Plant Fest and Community Farmers Market in Jackson. In Hattiesburg, catch the Henry Cho tour and the Downtown Crawfish Jam Music Festival. Overall, it’s a weekend full of entertainment, culture, and fun activities for all ages.

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 18-20

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-18 07:36:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (April 18-20), Mississippi offers a variety of events for all ages. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, a jazz concert, free outdoor movie screenings, and multiple exhibitions including “Of Salt and Spirit” and “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers.” For family fun, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the Ag Museum and “Bunnies & Butterflies” at MCM. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage, Lafayette’s 200th anniversary celebration, and a farmers market. In the Pine Belt, highlights include Live at Five, a Spring Candle-Making Workshop, and Easter events at the Hattiesburg Zoo. Don’t miss the Bluff City Block Party and more!

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 11-13

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-11 07:37:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 11-13), enjoy a variety of events across the state. Highlights include the Eudora Welty Birthday Bash in Jackson, Trivia Night at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and Boots & Bling Fundraiser in Natchez. For family fun, check out the Bunny Bonanza in Jackson or the Easter Egg Hunt in Clinton. The Natchez Concours d’Elegance Car Show and Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival offer cultural experiences, while the 12th Annual Dragon Boat Regatta in Ridgeland and the Hub City Classic Car Show in Hattiesburg provide exciting activities for all ages.

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