The University of Missouri System currently does not plan to join other universities across the country that have delayed the start of their spring semesters or returned to online-only instruction because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.Classes at the University of Missouri in Columbia start on Jan. 18, and spokesman Christian Basi said the school currently doesn’t anticipate any schedule changes. Furthermore, students will not be required to wear masks indoors, even if they’re not vaccinated.
However, Stephens College, a private women’s college in Columbia, will return to remote learning for the first two weeks of spring semester, from Jan. 10-21, spokesperson Derrell Carter told The Columbia Missourian.
More than 70 colleges nationwide announced by Jan. 1 that they would move to online-only instruction or delay the start of their spring semesters. Among them is Washington University in St. Louis, which will require online learning for at least the first two weeks of the semester.
Meanwhile, high schools across Missouri began their second semesters with varying COVID-19 rules, particularly in regard to masks.
In Columbia, more than 1,000 people signed a petition asking the school district to hold an emergency board meeting to reconsider its decision to drop mask a mandate as of Tuesday, when the spring semester began.
The petition, which was signed by parents and teachers, said the COVID-19 outlook has “drastically changed” since the board voted in December to drop the mandate.
A spokeswoman for the district did not immediately respond a message seeking comment.
Todd Fuller, a spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association, said his family caught COVID-19 over the holiday break and he’s worried about what the coming weeks will bring.
He said entire buildings or districts might shut down if cases continue to rise. He said he had heard that some larger districts have many teachers saying they tested positive and the districts are scrambling to find substitutes.
“We are worried about masks and honestly that is the last of our worries right now,” Fuller said. “Everybody wants to keep schools open, but this is going to be really challenging in order to do that. It is just going to burn through districts I think.”
At least three elementary schools and a high school in the St. Louis region will start the semester online, while some districts near Kansas City have decided to recommend the wearing of masks but not require it, as was the case during the fall semester.
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