Harrison Schools Superintendent Stewart Pratt spoke with KHOZ’s Around The Table on Thursday about the upcoming school year.

Pratt said the plan is still to have in-person classes. Aug. 18 is the first day of school. “We feel like what’s best for students is to be there and be present and have that school open. I think it’s good for our community too,” Pratt said. In regard to the Delta variant, he said they “know that the Delta variant is a serious matter.” He added that “surfaces are not where we’re going to catch it, it’s just that personal contact, and that comes back to, our favorite topic, masks, right?”

He said he respects everyone’s opinion but that vaccinations work. He also said that he has had “quite a few conversations with local parents and they’re very cautious and I don’t blame them, they should be. They should research; we strongly encourage that.” He said he does not want anyone doing something because he said so. “Everybody just needs to go to their primary care physician or your pediatrician for your children,” Pratt said.

Pratt also discussed masking and the Arkansas government’s ban on mask mandates. That ban also applies to schools. “There is talk about the Governor calling a special session,” Pratt said, “I believe he’s probably taken a pretty good pulse and feels like he might have the votes to repeal that,” he said.

The full interview with Pratt is on Around The Table’s Facebook Page.