Gov. Tate Reeves signed an executive order Thursday morning to close all public schools in the state until April 17 in light of the spread of COVID-19.
Reeves made the announcement on a Facebook Live broadcast.
“This will give us a four-week period to evaluate the effects of the virus,” Reeves said. “It’s not a decision I take lightly. In my almost 17 years in public service, it’s probably the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I know it’s difficult for Mississippi families when schools are shut down. I also know that our kids learn more when they are in the classroom.”
Reeves said he made the decision after talks with education officials around the state.
“They are already beginning innovative ways to ensure our kids continue to learn in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
Reeves said the state will relax end-of-year testing and accountability testing and promised to give the state board of education flexibility to waive any rules and regulations that make teaching during the school closures more difficult.
The governor assured school districts that state funding would continue “in full and on time” and that school employees will receive their normal pay.
Schools in Columbus Municipal, Lowndes County and Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated school districts were all out this week as an extension of spring break, a response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. SOCSD spokesperson Nichole Thomas previously told The Dispatch the district already planned to suspend school for March 23-27, while school administrators at CMSD and LCSD both said they were waiting for the governor’s announcement.
Columbus and Starkville school districts began providing meals to home-bound children this week. Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison said his district is preparing a meals program as well.
Mississippi University for Women has postponed its May graduation, as well as Magnolia Chain and Nursing Pinning ceremonies in response to the current COVID-19 crisis, the university announced in a statement Wednesday.
The statement said plans to celebrate graduates will be announced at a later date and when deemed safe following the COVID-19 pandemic national emergency.
As of Thursday morning, Mississippi State Department of Health had reported 50 confirmed cases of the virus across 21 counties. An update on that total is expected after press time today.
PSC directs utilities not to cut off services, MDOT eases truck weight limits
The Mississippi Public Service Commission issued an order prohibiting all water, sewer, natural gas and electricity providers from shutting off utilities for 60 days, Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley announced Wednesday in a statement.
Presley’s statement noted the PSC has worked with the state attorney’s general office to ensure the shutoff ban also applies to utilities not under PSC jurisdiction.
Presley said later that a PSC future directive could suspend with late fees and interest on delinquent accounts. He encouraged consumers to continue to pay their bills.
“This doesn’t mean the services are free,” he said in Wednesday’s statement.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced Wednesday it has authorized temporary weight increases for commercial vehicles providing direct support for emergency pandemic response. The maximum gross weight under this allowance is 90,000 pounds on a five-axle commercial vehicle with a minimum 51-foot outer bridge measurement. The maximum tandem limit is 40,000 pounds. All other dimensions must be meet legal requirements.
The temporary allowances are in place until April 12. They are for commercial vehicles providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.