- Target:
- School board members in Jackson County, MS
- Region:
- United States of America
Thanks to everyone who signed and supported this campaign. We did not get the result that we wanted but it was great to see so many community members get involved.
Jackson County, MS is experiencing a spike in Coronavirus cases and our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed just as public schools throughout Jackson County are set to re-open.
The Mississippi Medical Association and State Academy of Pediatrics has recently recommended that public schools in Mississippi push back the start of in-person instruction until September to protect the health and safety of students and staff. Public health officials have recently found that children ages 10 and up can spread the virus as quickly as adults.
If we require that 30,000 student, faculty and staff gather in schools over the next few weeks, our communities will likely face exponential growth in cases, serious illnesses and deaths.
Please join us in letting our school boards know that they should delay in-person instruction until September. And let's commit ourselves to using the additional time to reduce the spread and increase safety measures in all of our schools.
To Members of the Jackson County School Board, Moss Point School Board, Ocean Springs School Board, and Members of the Pascagoula-Gautier Board of Trustees in Jackson County, MS:
We, the undersigned residents of Jackson County ask that you DELAY THE OPENING OF IN-PERSON TEACHING IN K-12 SCHOOLS IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN JACKSON COUNTY UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY AND UNTIL THE POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST RATE IS BELOW 5% AS ADVISED BY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS.
A delayed opening will give us time to do the following:
1. Work as a community to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the current spike in cases.
2. Plan for appropriate physical distancing on school campuses and buses.
3. Recognize that masks for all must be a part of any reopening plan.
4. Plan for effective virtual learning for families that choose that option.
Over 30,000 students, faculty, and staff pass through public schools in Jackson County every day when in session. Please delay the opening of schools until after Labor Day in order to come up with a more comprehensive plan to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of their families and neighbors.
Sincerely,
The Delay school reopening in Jackson County, MS petition to School board members in Jackson County, MS was written by Julia Weaver and is in the category Education at GoPetition.