Chapel Hill Middle School Principal Michael Alexander Jr. discussed in January how employees have been preparing schools for the safe return of students and staff. School staff will return first on Feb. 3, 2020. (Courtesy of DeKalb County School District)
By Wilborn P. Nobles III
Several DeKalb County School principals this week shared on YouTube that school buildings are ready for the return of school staff.
The DeKalb County School District has been virtual-only since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Next week, school principals and staff will return to buildings to prepare classrooms for the pending start of face-to-face learning.
In the 5-minute video, the district combines footage of its operations staff sanitizing rooms and surfaces alongside images of signs encouraging mask use. Southwest DeKalb High School principal Thomas Glanton said in the video released on Thursday that staff members will be safe indoors as the district addresses “all of your concerns.”
“Make sure that you always wear your mask,” Glanton said. “Always wash your hands.”
District officials said they will reconsider face-to-face learning when DeKalb County’s two-week COVID-19 positivity rate drops below 10%. The Georgia health department reported on Jan. 28 that DeKalb’s two-week positivity rate is 11.8%.
Unlike other metro area Atlanta schools districts, DeKalb has yet to publicly post how many staff and students have been COVID-19 positive. The Gwinnett district, for instance, posts daily reports.
The district has yet to announce when face-to-face classes will resume. It previously announced that parents will be notified about the in-person learning for students two-weeks prior to the reopening date.
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