Just two days into a new school year, Hattiesburg Public School District (HPSD) Superintendent Robert Williams says efforts are being made to keep students and personnel safe in the wake of an intensified outbreak of COVID-19 and the Delta variant in the area.
He noted following the conclusion of the brief August 11 HPSD Board of Trustees regular meeting that he and school leaders are, however, prepared to switch back to a virtual learning format if necessary, which neighboring school districts have had to do in some instances as cases have risen among their staff and students.
Williams said 13 HPSD personnel, including teachers, had been diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to the start of classes. No information was immediately available about student cases.
“We haven’t faced any major issues here in the first couple of days of classes, but we’re working to mitigate the potential spread (of Covid-19) as we did the previous year,” he said, noting continued efforts to keep spaces clean and encouraging distancing and the use of masks.
Williams said the district is also looking into providing access to vaccines for those who are eligible among its staff and students, including with drive-thru delivery.
“We’re still facing the same challenges we encountered last year [with the pandemic], so I encourage everyone in our schools to continue to extend kindness, understanding and patience to one another while we pursue excellence and growth in the coming school year,” said HPSD Board of Trustees President Delores McNair.
