Even though Mayor George Flaggs Jr. does not have any authority or involvement in the Vicksburg Warren School District, that doesn’t mean he does not have an opinion.

Wednesday, Flaggs sent a letter to Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees President James Stirgus Jr., asking trustees to reconsider their plans to reopen schools Aug. 7.

Earlier this month, trustees approved a plan to restart schools giving parents two options — sending children back to the classroom under strict and detailed social distancing guidelines or a distance-learning option, giving students the chance to continue their studies from home.

In the letter dated Wednesday, Flaggs hoped trustees would delay restarting schools due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Warren County.

“The COVID-19 cases in Vicksburg are exponentially rising daily,” Flaggs said. “I believe that delaying the school district’s reopening will help with this spike in our city during this coronavirus pandemic.”

When contacted by The Post Wednesday afternoon, Stirgus said he had not yet seen the letter. When given the details of the letter, Stirgus said, “Everyone has a right to their opinion.”

Through Wednesday, Warren County has seen a spike in cases over the previous 14 days, where more than 20 new cases were reported daily. Wednesday’s report from the Mississippi State Department of Health showed Warren County had 11 new cases, bringing the total reported in the county during the pandemic to 897.

Wednesday’s letter also comes one day after Claiborne County School officials announced plans to restart school with online distance learning only.

“Noting that surrounding school districts are re-evaluating their return plans, I respectfully ask the Board and you, Mr. Stirgus, to consider delaying the return date and evaluate the possibility of initiating a virtual learning model,” Flaggs wrote. “With the very capable and competent staff of (the) Vicksburg Warren School District, I know that we can find an innovative way to educate our most precious commodities, our children, and keep them safe in our school district, all while working together to save lives and mitigate the spread of the virus.”

The Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees are scheduled to meet Thursday evening for a regular meeting.