MEMPHIS, Tenn — Students at the largest school district in Mississippi are back in the classroom for the first time since March.
Monday marked the first day of school for the DeSoto County School District as well as a number of other Mid-South districts making their return.
“Although everyone is very excited. There’s also that sense of newness where this is going to be a completely new school year," Superintendent Cory Uselton said. "We’re going to be doing things completely different and there’s a little bit of anxiety that goes along with that but that happens anytime you’re doing anything new.”
For the start of the school year, 65% of students physically returned to classes. The rest are doing virtual learning.
Uselton said the district asked parents and teachers this summer what they preferred: all virtual learning, in-class learning or a hybrid of the two. The district reports that the majority responded wanting in-person instructional time.
"Some students have a medical condition, some students have family members with them at home that have medical conditions and also there are some parents that are just anxious about sending their children to school right now so we respect that and so implemented a full-time virtual learning for those students," Uselton said.
When students returned Monday morning, masks were a new requirement to the dress code. Earlier this month, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed an executive order mandating mask wearing in schools.
That won't be the only change for students. There will be less movement once the school day starts. In some schools, students will remain in their classrooms for lunch.
Teachers have been instructed to remove excess furniture from their classrooms to make space for social distancing between desks. Because 35% of students are doing virtual learning, it'll be easier to implement social distancing, Uselton said.
As the state's largest school district, Uselton said there are challenges to navigating the school year, but said they have prepared more for this year than any previous one.
“We’re all first-year educators right now, myself included along with our teachers and principals because this is something that we’ve never done before and so there are going to be some growing pains along the way not only for those that are in class but for also those that are learning online," Uselton said.
Uselton said the district will follow the health department's protocols if a staff member or student tests positive with COVID-19. Parents of impacted classrooms will receive an email in that case. If it's determined that a student had prolonged, close contact with the person who tested positive, the parents will also receive a phone call informing them.