Reopening Date, Plan Announced By Fulton Schools Officials

FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney and staff shared updates Monday regarding protocols and processes for returning to school in-person for the 2020-2021 school year.

All school systems – including those in metro Atlanta, and across the nation – are challenged with similar dilemmas for how to start the 2020-2021 school year in the safest manner possible. Fulton County Schools is no different, and many parents, staff, students and the public have expressed concerns and asked questions. On Monday, the school board discussed the issues raised by the community in a working retreat/called meeting and heard a plan from Looney for beginning the new school year.

Reopening School for 2020-2021

The district said it wants students back in schools learning and interacting as everyone has traditionally known. However, the district said everyone must understand that when face-to-face school resumes, it will not be the same due to the pandemic.

"Our nation is still in a health crisis, and it is critical that we do whatever possible to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus," the district said in a release Monday night. "Safety precautions are being taken and these will make schools feel and look different, and social distancing will change some events and behaviors. These changes may be difficult for some, especially children and young adults, so we appreciate your support as we put measures in place to provide the safest environment possible."

With a district as large as Fulton County Schools – 106 schools and more than 93,000 students – the district must adopt an approach that is district-wide, achievable, and consistent.

"As a result, our instructional strategy provides options for attending school face-to-face or by virtual learning, and also contains contingency plans should COVID-19 cases continue to rise and cause interruptions to our in-person operations," the district said. "More details are provided about these options below, and families will have until July 17 to make the decision that works best for their situation."

Related: Should GA Schools Reopen This Fall? Take Patch's Survey

First Day of School Changed

In addition to announcing the face-to-face or virtual instruction options, the school board modified the 2020-2021 calendar. Due to the change in election dates by state officials, and to allow for more overall preparation, Fulton County School’s first day of the school year for students will be Aug. 17 instead of Aug. 10. One-third of the schools will serve as polling places for the Aug. 11 election; and since elections bring large numbers of voters and other members of the public into the buildings, this creates an additional safety concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This delay allows schools to re-disinfect the areas serving as a polling place while also providing teachers and staff additional days of professional development to prepare for students’ arrival. The change in the first day of school will not affect any other calendar dates, winter/spring breaks, holidays already announced, or the last day of school.

COVID-19 Prevention Strategies

Fulton County Schools’ return-to-school plan emphasizes the health and safety of students and staff. This flyer provides a summary of what the district is doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools, such as more frequent and thorough cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces; encouraging students to wash their hands more often; providing hand sanitizer stations in hallways; placing physical barriers at the front reception desks and other high-volume areas; and creating isolation rooms for those who appear to be symptomatic of an illness. All persons who are sick are expected to stay home, and any student or staff member who become sick while at school will be sent home immediately.

All Fulton Schools employees are required to wear a face mask and, though not mandated, students are strongly encouraged to also wear one while in school. Face masks are expected for students riding a school bus, however, since social distancing is more difficult to achieve. Students will be assigned seats and buses will be disinfected after each morning and afternoon route.

Trying to manage the movements of hundreds of students will be challenging, but possible. Desks will be spaced out in classrooms and school leaders have plans for how students will travel through the building, go through class changes, eat their meals, and attend group gatherings, such as an assembly. The goal is to reduce the possible spread of illness through more physical separation, yet still give students and teachers the personal interaction they need.

Virtual Learning Opportunities

Fulton Schools is offering an individual remote learning opportunity for students in grades 1-8 and a full-time Fulton Virtual opportunity for students in grades 9-12.

These options are available for students who have an underlying health condition, a social or emotional condition, or other special or extenuating family circumstances that prevents them from safely returning to a face-to-face school environment due to COVID-19. The programs are also open to other interested families.

Registration begins on June 30 and ends on July 17. These virtual options require a semester commitment (from August through December) and do not include extracurricular activities at local schools. However, virtual clubs will be offered. Click here for more information and visit www.fultonschools.org/enrollment to register your student.

• Elementary Frequently Asked Questions
• Middle School Frequently Asked Questions
• High School Frequently Asked Questions

Budget

The board also adopted the fiscal year 2021 budget during the called board meeting. A revision to the current budget of $164,838 was requested due to an increasing number of Fulton students who are not attending school or engaging in virtual coursework because of a disability or impairment. One social worker and two registered behavioral technicians (paraprofessional with specialized training) will provide in-home supports to students and parents such as building a return to school plan, addressing any behavioral or emotional barriers, developing academic and/or behavioral plans, providing parent training and supporting students currently in residential treatment programs.

The 2020-2021 budget, as approved by the board, includes budgeted salary schedules, all provisos, school allotment guidelines, a tentative millage rate of 17.796 for maintenance and operations, no millage rate for the retirement of bond debt, and a five-year capital program budget and cash flow.

Virtual Briefings

Fulton County Schools has scheduled a series of virtual briefings for parents and employees of the district on the reopening plans. Initial meetings will be available via Microsoft Teams live. Links to these broadcasts will be provided within 24 hours prior to the meeting. All meetings will be recorded and made available on the website for viewing anytime.