School Will Tap Federal Funds For Interior Work
Speaking in Monday night’s school board meeting, Brittany Dudley told board members that she did want to put her first grader through another faceless year at school. Almost two dozen people attended the meeting in support of Dudley’s request to remove the school district’s mask mandate.
WATER VALLEY – A lengthy list of improvements is planned at Water Valley High School and Davidson Elementary School using funding from the third round of federal Covid-19 relief. The district is advertising for qualifications for architectural/engineering design and bid services in this week’s edition of the Herald. The work will include renovations to the elementary and high school restrooms, renovations to enclose corridor openings and doors at the elementary school, expanding the library size and construction of an outside classroom at both schools.
Superintendent Jerry Williams estimated the work could cost as much as $1.5 million.
Speaking at Monday night’s school board meeting, Williams told school board members that the selection of an architect for the project is the first step. After preliminary work is completed, the school district will advertise for bids from contractors. The project must be completed by Sept. 30, 2023.
Other activity at Monday’s meeting included:
• A first grader’s mom urged school board members to reconsider the mask mandate for students in the district.
“I cannot believe anyone could think that making children spend seven or eight hours a day with a mask covering their mouth and nose could in any way be good for them,” Brittany Dudley told school board members.
She noted that the masks students are wearing do not protect against transmission of the virus.
“It literally says on the boxes of disposable masks and the packaging on the cloth masks that they are not intended for medical use, and they do not protect against transmission. Masks do not work to stop particles the size of a virus,” Dudley continued.
She noted that the elementary school age children aren’t wearing their masks consistently and correctly all day.
“They are playing together at recess and P.E., using the same bathrooms in groups, eating side by side, riding buses together – you think with all this that a cloth mask is going to prevent them spreading this extremely contagious virus. Not likely,” Dudley said.
She also stressed the masks can cause health problems for children including restricted breathing.
She noted the communication barriers the masks pose – both for learning and interacting.
“The thought that my son can spend seven hours a day, five days a week, and never see a smile – breaks my heart,” the mom continued.
“Coronavirus is tragic. It is a very tragic virus, and I don’t want you to think I am downplaying it or don’t understand the severity of it… however we have to look at the facts and the fact is that Covid poses almost no risk at all to kids,” Dudley said.
Citing statistics from the Mississippi State Department of Health, she said the death rate in children is under 18 years-old from Covid is .00124 percent. In comparison, Dudley said the number one cause of death for kids is cancer, followed by vehicle accidents and suicides.
“There are many things that we should be afraid our children dying from, but Covid is nowhere near the top of that list,” Dudley said. “We have to look at the facts and the facts are that the harms of masking children very heavily outweigh the benefits.”
In closing, Dudley said parents should have the freedom of choice about masks for their children.
Board President Chris Terry reported her comments would be taken under advisement.
“It was very tough for all of us to try to make the right decision, we will discuss it,” Terry said. He also said that board members were aware that there would be opposition against the mask mandate, as well as opposition from others if the district did not impose the mandate.
