Rhode Island schools are still open as the covid cases are rising. Students are skipping school due to not feeling safe in the environment, being sick, or simply not wanting to be here due to the circumstances. Covid is at the highest it has been within the past few months and we are still being told that “school is the safest place to be” yet few properly wear masks and the schools get sanitized at the end of the day. That means that you have a number of students rotating at the same desk throughout the day. Touching it, touching their faces, then bringing it to the next room. What if one of those kids gets covid and spreads it throughout the rooms before they know they have it? What do we do then? Prioritize your students the way you say you want to and let us choose whether to be in school or online. Thank you.