I am a student at Desoto High School. Our high school has 28 positive covid cases and no students in quarantine. Two of the elementary schools have shut down because of an outbreak in covid in which at least 1/3 of the staff has contracted covid. In the hallways, students act as they normally would as if there was not a pandemic. The hallways are packed and crowded, shoulder to shoulder. There have been a couple of fights which would have most likely spread covid as well. 

    At lunch, students are not separated from each other and lunchrooms are super packed. Classrooms are over-packed as we have no teachers to teach. Most students do not have vaccinations. Some classes have anywhere between 30 to 70 students. I personally know students who have had covid or possibly came in contact in either my or others' classrooms and I have reason to believe neither the teachers nor the students in the classrooms knew. None of us were told to quarantine. 

    Some students are at high risk, have siblings who are unable to be vaccinated, or elders who are living with them. We would still like to have an education, but we should not have to choose between a good education or risking our lives and our loved ones. 

    If we were to move to virtual learning, this would provide a safe haven for students who are not comfortable being in a public school setting while there is a pandemic. I am not asking for the schools to shut down, but at least provide an option for the students who would like to learn at home and stay safe.