Two paths diverged, neither was appealing

Summer is over and students are starting to return to the classroom this month. Some of our local schools have already returned and the rest are returning, in some form or fashion, over the next few weeks.

For many students, it will be the first time back in class since early March, when spring break, for many, turned into an extended summer due to the coronavirus. Also since early March, our health professionals, politicians, teachers and pretty much anyone on Facebook, has been arguing whether going back to class is a good thing or not.

State Health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has been pretty clear on the matter: bringing students back will result in more cases. What that will look like, how that will impact our community, who and how many will die has yet to been seen.

I won’t try to hide it; I have some serious reservations about holding in person classes. Even after speaking with several of our local schools, who are seeing great success the past few days, I still can’t shake that nagging doubt this will all blow up in our faces.

At the same time, I don’t know that we have much of a choice. The economic and social impact of not holding classes would be devastating to our state. Thousands of people have lost their jobs since the beginning of the year, and for those that are working, affording childcare for 9 months is out of reach for all but a few.

There is also the question of what to do with the children. If schools are too unsafe, how are daycares and rec centers better? And with students missing more than a full year of school, what impact will that have on their education?

Online instruction and virtual classrooms seem to be the best bet for safety and instruction, and some of the school districts in Mississippi have the ability to do that. But, even as the Legislature pours millions into expanding internet – something that should have been done years ago – we’re still at least a decade away from having internet access widespread enough to offer virtual school to all students.

I know our school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers have wrestled with the decision to go back to class. I wish there had been more leadership shown at the state level as to how to proceed, but I think our local schools did a pretty good job nonetheless.

Though I have concerns about the outcome of the school year, I know our schools are doing everything in their power to keep their students safe. I hope I’m wrong and students have a fantastic school year free of coronavirus, but I can’t help but feel we’re choosing one of two bad options.