Houston School District goes virtual to get students back in the classroom quickly

HOUSTON, MISS. (WCBI) – The Houston School District is doing what it can to help keep students in class.

That means having students go virtual for the rest of this week as administrators watch the covid numbers across the district.

As Kay Borst teaches her seventh-grade science class at Houston Middle School, the desks are empty, students are watching, taking notes, and answering questions, from home.

All campuses in the district are virtual through the end of the week. Superintendent John Ellison says it’s part of a pro-active approach to hopefully avoid a two-week period of virtual-only classes.

“We watch our numbers, administrators and nurses, we’re trying to prevent any long-term, shutdowns if at all possible, we felt like it was time to take another preventative measure, to get kids back in school and keep them here as much as possible,” Supt. Ellison said.

Under state health department guidelines, anytime a school has three positive covid cases in a building, it’s considered an outbreak. When that happens, districts must offer virtual-only classes for two weeks.

“They’re definitely going to do better in the class where they can interact and talk with their classmates and teacher and we want them here as much as possible, but when we can’t do that, we want to provide the best environment we can,” he said.

The district has provided each student with an iPad or Chromebook so they can keep up with virtual classes and homework, and the district has also made accommodations for students living in rural areas, where cell phone service and internet access is unreliable if it’s even available.

“We’re recording our teacher’s lessons, posting them so anybody can go where there is internet service, download, watch lesson if they can’t do either, we have paper and pencil lessons that follow what we do in class,” Ellison said.

Ellison says teachers and staff learned valuable lessons about virtual instruction last year, and they’re putting what they learned into practice when needed. The lunchroom staff is also working hard, even though students aren’t on campus.  Teachers grab their lunch in between their virtual classes.

Superintendent Ellison says a decision could be made Friday about in-person instruction next week in Houston Schools.