Gov. Tate Reeves awarded a portion of the $34.6 million in federal emergency education funds to nonprofits, day cares and other education organizations across the state —  but the largest recipient was Waterford.org, a Utah-based virtual preschool organization.

The Jackson Public School District, which has been operating entirely virtually since March, received its first shipment of laptops and other devices. 

 Quarantine guidelines means thousands of students in Mississippi are out of school in a given week. One school district on the Gulf Coast is bucking those protocols and giving parents the option of whether to quarantine their child.

'Left in the dark' 
Teachers and parents in some school districts say their school is not communicating enough about COVID-19 infections and exposure. 

Educators slam Reeves' budget priorities
Gov. Tate Reeves' executive budget recommendation made no mention of a long-awaited teacher pay raise, but it did recommend limiting funding to schools that do not teach in person during the pandemic. It also set aside $3 million for a “Patriotic Education Fund.”

Schools close doors as COVID-19 infections spike
COVID-19 infections among teachers and students hit an all-time high in November, and schools across the state transitioned to distance learning. 

Jackson schools announce plan to return 

School will resume virtually on Jan. 5, but students will have the option to return in person on Jan. 19 after a “self-quarantine period” following the holidays. The district has been operating entirely virtually since March.  

What is Waterford.org, and why did it receive nearly $2 million? 
Despite capping grant amounts at $1 million, Gov. Tate Reeves awarded nearly $2 million of federal funds to Waterford.org to serve only a fraction of the children in Mississippi. This story looks at who the organization is and why it received that amount.