ATLANTA — Georgia public schools are set to receive about $1.7 billion in federal COVID-19 aid as part of a second round of relief spending Congress passed last month.
The leader of DeKalb County Schools District says the district has been consistent in its approach to the pandemic, making decisions in the best interest of its students and staff.
“All Dekalb County School District students are still fully in a virtual setting; that is the decision that is best right now for our larger community,” said DeKalb County Schools District Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris on Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look.”
Superintendent Watson-Harris told show host Rose Scott that the COVID-19 positivity rate in Dekalb County has risen to 14.7%, which is considered to be in the high range threshold for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
UpdatedTue, Jan 12, 2021 at 12:32 pm ET
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Students in DeKalb County School District will not return for in-person instruction until mid-February, the district announced Monday. (Shutterstock)
DEKALB COUNTY, GA Citing rising coronavirus cases in Georgia, DeKalb County School District will delay in-person learning, the district announced during Monday s school board meeting.
Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris said during the meeting that the district will push back in-person learning by a month, to mid-February. Classrooms were initially set to reopen Jan. 19 for students in five grade levels, despite DeKalb County s positivity rate sitting above the 10 percent threshold and despite at least two protests by DeKalb educators and parents, who were pushing for schools to remain in virtual learning.
Protests against DeKalb schools re-opening enter second week
Protesters are pushing to halt plans to resume in-person learning in DeKalb County.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Hundreds of parents, teachers, and students protested lined up along the road near the entrance to DeKalb County School District’s main office on Tuesday – for the second week in a row.
They say they’re outraged the district wants to resume in-person learning as COVID-19 numbers again are on the rise. It s just not the right thing to do at this time, said Deborah Jones, who leads the Organization of DeKalb Educators. We know what happened right after Thanksgiving, so we know what s going to happen after Christmas. Give it some time, what is the rush?