Biloxi School District employees receive COVID-19 vaccine

Team work makes the dream work at Biloxi High School as different school district workers help in the effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

It’s more common to hear teachers are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine to protect themselves and their students, but what about the bus driver who picks up students in the morning and returns them home in the afternoon? Or the maintenance worker who ensures school buildings are properly functioning?

At Biloxi High School, Memorial Hospital provided first dose Pfizer vaccines to all school district workers including those who work outside the classroom. Shaun Kostmayer works with BHS general maintenance. He said, “Everybody interacts with everybody. Students, teachers, maintenance, we all interact with everybody.”

Randall Lane has been working in transportation with the Biloxi School District for 18 years. He has been looking forward to this day. “It’s imperative that everybody in the school system get it. I’m glad that we got assigned an available time to come out and get our shot.”

Over 200 Biloxi school employees and first responders received their first dose. “The school was going to eventually do it for the teachers so usually when the teachers are involved, everybody that works for the school is involved. We don’t have to go make an appointment, go to the coliseum, go to the hospital, wait for hours, it’s really great.”

The COVID vaccine was offered to more than teachers and administrators.  Bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and maintenance staff are also doing their part to help stop the spread.

The possibility the vaccine helps prevent catching the virus was enough for Assistant Warehouse Manager Steven Boucher to get the shot. “Make sure just in case I get my vaccination, it will work against it and make sure I’m not sick so I can go back to work.

In three weeks, Memorial will return and provide second dose vaccines on campus.