List: South Mississippi school districts cancel class because of coronavirus
Update March 20: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College announces all courses will resume on March 30 and will be delivered online through April 17. Residence halls will be closed and students should not return to the campus during this time.
Update March 19: Gov. Tate Reeves orders all Mississippi schools closed until April 17.
Update March 18: Catholic Diocese of Biloxi said its schools would close through at least March 27.
After Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday, March 14, Mississippi Coast school districts announced closures.
The following school districts are closed:
- Ocean Springs
- Harrison County
- Biloxi
- Gulfport
- Long Beach
- Pass Christian
- Hancock County — through March 27
- Jackson County
- Pascagoula-Gautier
- Moss Point
- George County
- Pearl River County
- Poplarville
- Stone County is already out for spring break
- Picayune
Catholic Diocese of Biloxi announced March 17 that all schools will be closed through March 27. All athletic events and extracurricular activities are canceled while schools are closed.
St. Patrick Catholic High School posted that they will close school campus and move to a virtual learning environment schedule effective immediately until Friday, March 20.
Moore Community House Early Head Start will be closed March 16-20.
Mississippi Action for Progress Head Start centers in Harrison County will be closed March 16-20, including Blanche Saucier, Doyle Moffett, Isiah Fredericks and Bay Waveland centers.
Neighboring Louisiana and Alabama first canceled school statewide to prevent the spread of new coronavirus.
Since the closings are made during a state of emergency, the Mississippi Department of Education will not require schools to make up any days missed during the closings.
“We know that right now, everyone is feeling uncertain about COVID-19 and its impact on many aspects of everyday life,” Superintendent Bonita Coleman said in a press release. “One certainty is that OSSD will always place the health and safety of its students and staff, and in this case, its community, above all else. This is why in keeping with Gov. Reeves’s declaration of state of emergency, all OSSD schools will be closed the week of March 16-20, and all district events, including athletic competitions and practices will be cancelled.”
She also stressed the importance of social distancing and hand washing.
Louisiana is closing schools until April 13, and Alabama is closing schools until April 6.
The Sun Herald will update this list with any future school closings. Press releases and information can be emailed to mynews@sunherald.com
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 2:42 PM.