Goal: Renew the bay-link program for the second semester of 2020-2021 school year at bay district schools, until a COVID-19 vaccine has been available to the public and 85% of bay county has been vaccinated.

Description: Bill Husfelt announced on December 4, 2020 that Bay District Schools would be cancelling the Bay Link program on January 18th, 2021.

Bay-link, perhaps one of the most consequential educational programs provided to this county, helped many high-risk families to protect their loved ones and saved many lives in the process. We the people believe that all lives deserve to have integrity and respect, and that the preservation of that life must be the highest priority especially during the pandemic.

Cutting off bay-link for its current users would change their lives drastically. If students are forced to switch to Florida Virtual, some would no longer have access to certain AP or IB college programs they need to take to reduce college costs. Others may not have the option to homeschool since their parents have to work long hours to make a living. Thus, what ends up happening is that these students get moved back into crowded schools, increasing the likelihood of infection and threatening the lives of students, teachers and their families.

Statistics have consistently shown the United States has failed in comparison with the other parts of the world to deal with the spread of COVID-19 due to lack of a concrete and consistent plan to limit its spread. Instead of this plan, what we see are state and local leaders who are unwilling to sacrifice short term economic prosperity for less deaths.

Despite experts also warning that reopening early and essentially, "going around in circles" is causing greater long-term economic damage and more deaths in the process, officials insist to do so. If infection rates are not controlled within the county below a certain level, COVID-19 will be even more lethal. Right now Bay County ICU's are at 86% capacity. If the cases keep ticking up, many of our loved ones will die from hospital capacity issues.

The time to protest for our lives, the lives of our fellow students, teachers and family members is now. Do not let them treat the death of your friends and family as a statistic. Make a difference, fight for their lives and yours. Sign the petition now!