After a year and a half of virtual learning, students will return to schools this fall.. | Canva
After a year and a half of virtual learning, students will return to schools this fall.. | Canva
One of the most significant and harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the mass removal of students from classrooms around the country. Now that the pandemic is subsiding and many facets of life are beginning to return to normal, school districts around the country are getting ready to move children back to school full-time starting in the fall.
Among them is the Fulton County School District. Dr. Mike Looney, superintendent of the district, told WSB-TV 2, “The fact that we’ve been able to have summer school in very large numbers this year without incident is a reflection of our ability to mitigate risk for our students and our staff members.”
Though he was optimistic about the prospect of children returning to school this fall, he also said that students will be expected to follow guidelines and take it upon themselves to protect the health of themselves and others. “We will continue to encourage mask-wearing of employees and students as they find appropriate in need,” he said to WSB-TV 2.
Looney also stressed the importance of children returning back to school for face-to-face instruction, saying, “Students have really accelerated in a virtual environment. But for most students and in public schools, most students gain so much more value from being in a face-to-face environment.”
Looney made his statements on July 27 – the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued new guidance recommending fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. The directive came as COVID-19 cases linked to the highly transmissible Delta variant increased across the country.
Students in Fulton County return to the classroom on Aug. 9. The district recently released updated guidance for students and staff. Among the requirements are that masks must be worn on school buses; however, they are optional "but strongly recommended" for all unvaccinated students and staff.
The fourth-largest school system in the state, Fulton County Schools employs more than 10,900 employees and more than 6,900 teachers across 108 schools and administrative buildings. Enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year is expected to be 94,400 students.
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