Waco Reporter

When Danielle Pence sent her son to school last week for in-person learning through the Whitney Independent School District (ISD), she didn’t expect to be vilified for her decision on KWTX News-10's Facebook page.

“Kid doesn't deserve to get sick, but their mother is an idiot,” posted Shawn Moder on Aug. 22. “Kid's not likely to die from it, but if the kid brings it home to her, well . . . that's a different matter.”

“You know, it's too late when one has to say 'I wish I had listened,'” Sam Taylor posted. “My child would still be here today. No, we can't live in fear, but we are supposed to protect our children. There is no antidote for COVID. There is no cure. You are gambling with your child's life.”

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“When times are hard but you remember that your family still has good life insurance,” posted Tommy Guhn.

Pence said her son 5-year-old son, Hudson, was happy to start school on Aug. 20, and she doesn’t understand the public’s criticism of her decision to let him attend.

“Don't be so quick to judge,” Pence told the Waco Reporter. “We all judge people so harshly, so quickly, and we don't know people's situations. Give a little grace to people and be more kind. That's what this world needs.”

As previously reported on KWTX News-10, Whitney ISD is among the Texas school districts offering in-person schooling with the proper protocols in place.

“Every teacher has to follow the federal guidelines set out for the schools,” Pence said. “You just have to make the best decision for your family and your kid. My little boy personally is not going to listen to me when I try to teach him something. He learns better from an actual teacher. He enjoys being in a classroom setting and I think that's great. My son wants to go to school. He loves it. He loves going to school.”

Even though the number of coronavirus cases has been on the rise statewide, Pence is not deterred.

“I know there is a risk, but there's also a risk if I go to the grocery store, so I don't take him to the store if I don't have to,” she said. “I try to keep the risk down but you can't let fear dictate how you live your life, and it's sad that we're all scared of something that we can't even see. COVID is an invisible force that we're all terrified of.”

A total of 592,137 cases were reported statewide as of Aug. 26, with 11,805 deaths, according to the Texas State Department of Health. In Hill County, there have been 361 cases reported and 8 deaths.

If the schools were to close and go 100-percent virtual like they did in March, Pence said she would probably be forced to quit working. 

“I don't see how a family with two working parents could handle that,” she said.