To the editor:

In your newspaper dated August 6, 2020, you placed an exceptionally long opinion piece by the superintendents of the East Bay schools. First it is my “opinion” that these writers deserved to have a complete article written, maybe by one of your staff members, with less than 1,150 words and more detail.

Second if we look at the data on each town, we clearly see two missing figures. First is what percent were not tested and second what percent have recovered and no longer are positive. This information is critical for an informed decision. https://ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com/

Third based on available evidence, children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19 than adults. While some children and infants have been sick with COVID-19, adults make up most of the known cases to date. However, a few children have developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Currently, information about this syndrome is limited. The CDC is working with state and local health departments to learn more about MIS C. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Children

So let’s review: Barrington has a 3% infection rate of 64 adults, 0 children; East Providence has a 10% infection rate of 823 adults, 0 children; Little Compton has a 3% infection rate of 15 adults, 0 children; Middletown has a 3% has infection rate of 75 adults, 0 children; Newport has a 3% infection rate of 125 adult,s 0 children; Portsmouth has a 3% infection rate of 61 of adults, 0 children; and Tiverton 5% infection rate of 99 adults, 0 children.

You never heard the word parents or children in an active tense. While I read the article with interest, I could not help count every “we” in the article which numbered eighteen! Just for the record if this article were written for an English teacher you can be sure their red pen would be circling all the “we’s!” It sounded like a story from the “Three Pigs”, where they went: WE, WE, WE, all the way home!

The most glaring part of the article is that it has no facts as presented above. If parents are concerned for their child let them home school or do on-line classes but for the big majority of children, they need to be in school.

Peg Bugara B.S. M.Ed.

Retired Little Compton School Committee 2012-2016

Little Compton