Moss Point School District continues masking up as COVID cases rise
It’s time for students across South Mississippi to head back to school after Christmas break, but what role will the sudden rise of COVID cases in our state play when it comes to school mask mandates?
Christmas break is over, class is in session, and COVID cases are back on the rise in South Mississippi. It’s a new year, but students and staff in the Moss Point School District are masking up just like they’ve been doing since the start of the pandemic.
Parents and staff have a hand in choosing to wear masks, making their opinions known through surveys. Superintendent Dr. Sharon Vincent said, “I think the community is saying what they want us to do. At the end of the day, our job is to take care of our children and their families. So, when we did the survey December 1st for the December board meeting, we had 73 percent in the affirmative from our parents and employees that they wanted to continue to wear masks. That’s a high number.”
Dr. Vincent says masking up has its benefits. “The last month before school was out before Christmas, we had two weeks of zero positive cases and very few quarantines.”
Counselor and drama teacher Japonica Brown says she can feel excited and comfortable seeing her students because she knows they are taking every health and safety precaution, leaving more time to focus on learning. “I’m lucky enough to work for such a great district that they put the safety needs before anything else. It’s very comforting to know that I am working for an institution where I feel safe to do my job and the students are still excelling academically.”
Teachers and staff at Moss Point say they are more than happy to continue wearing masks for as long as needed. In fact, a vast majority of teachers are vaccinated, a stat the district is proud to report. “Our employee vaccination rate is right at 91%. We’re very proud to say that. Scream it from the hilltop. Our board was very generous in an incentive that they approved of $1,500 per employee, no matter what level employee, as long as you are a full-time employee, and we started at about 80% and increased to about 91% so we’re very, very proud of that.”
