“Despite Governor Edwards’ amended Phase 3 Orders, the CDC and our nations science and medical experts are still urging that extreme caution be taken in gathering large groups of people, including teachers and students with the proposed reopening of schools, because this virus will certainly resurge again - particularly as we enter the Fall and Winter months. It is still not completely safe to physically reunite hundreds of souls onto our school campuses in the type of haste described by the Superintendent. Rather we should gleam from the result of similar actions taken in the recent reopening of colleges and universities a few short weeks ago with now over 90,000 positive COVID-19 cases on college campuses nationwide! Those leaders are now retracting their steps and limiting attendance to virtual options only, with the CDC urging not to send sick students back home to their families.” (Craig A. Mathews)

By signing this petition we are urging St. Mary Parish School Board and Administration to continue to offer the newly created Virtual School Attendance Option that was recently created in response to this pandemic, for at least the remainder of this 2020 calendar year.