Here we go again.
As the school year draws nigh, local administrators are having to grapple — one more time — with a school-related twist in the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the official and public response to it.
Fortunately, more positive changes are waiting in the wings as well.
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has fallen into line with new Centers for Disease Control guidance issued Tuesday, July 27. The federal public health agency is now recommending that students, teachers, staff and visitors in K-12 schools universally mask up indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.
GCPS says as a result, masks are now required for all students, all adult personnel and visitors in all school facilities and on school buses, even those who previously had been fully vaccinated.
School officials said the toughened requirement takes into consideration such factors as the rise in Gwinnett County COVID cases and that children younger than 12 are ineligible for the current menu of inoculations.
“We must do all we can to keep students in school in person,” said Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks. He added that “a layered approach is needed to keep students safe in school.”
Wilbanks said, nonetheless, it was disappointing that the year was starting with masks. In addition to the mask requirement, he’s urging those who are eligible for the vaccines, but who haven’t yet taken that step, to roll up their sleeves.
The district had gone mask-optional in June following Governor Kemp’s signing of an executive order restricting public school face-covering mandates.
Additionally, GCPS spokeswoman Sloan Roach said the district continues to stress deep cleaning and disinfection practices in schools and has installed upgraded air filters in some buildings.
Gwinnett school officials said that in light of the latest curveball, they’ll allow families to decide on whether children should be in school or learn remotely through Monday, August 2. Families wanting to make a change should contact their local school. The first day of school is August 4, with a staggered start for in-person learning.
A spokeswoman for GCPS said — before the latest announcement — that 98% of their students would be physically in school come the beginning of the year.
Private schools
In contrast to the county schools, private and parochial institutions serving Peachtree Corners had not announced any changes in policy resulting from the CDC’s new guidance change at press time, but indicated they were taking a close look.
Director of School Life Jimmy Chupp at Greater Atlanta Christian said that “we are reviewing mitigation strategies in light of the new recommendations and hope to have an answer soon.” Like Gwinnett, the campus had become mask-optional June 1. Chupp had said earlier that they had expected to continue that this year.
With such uncertainty present, the headmaster at Cornerstone Christian Academy said that they are still weighing options. Colin Creel said they had planned on publicizing their COVID protocols August 2. He emphasized that the school is in the process of consulting with health officials and others and hoped to have an announcement shortly.
“We’re going to stick to our plan,” he said in an email. “We’ve made some adjustments and we’ll continue to make appropriate adjustments as necessary.” Creel said that aside from the CDC recommendations, they’re still waiting for guidance from the health department, saying there’s always a chance a local mandate could be laid down.
Could the CDC change impact the number of families choosing digital learning? Chupp said in a previous interview that GAC does have a digital learning option in place, a platform so finely tuned that it virtually brings absent students into the classroom.
Parents and students will be able to choose either in-person or remote learning each day, so giving estimated numbers is difficult, he said. “That option allows for great flexibility,” Chupp added.
That theme of being nimble has been played up by other administrators. Head of School at Wesleyan School Chris Cleveland said he thinks the lessons learned and approaches taken during the 2020-2021 school year will stand them in good stead.
Departing from other campuses he said — before this latest announcement — that a digital option will not be offered at Wesleyan. In an email, he had said, “We believe students need to be in school every day. Teachers are more effective, and students learn best when they are in the classroom with their peers.”
Exceptions could be made in the case of prolonged illness or multiple quarantines, he added. Wesleyan had similarly eased its mask mandate. Cleveland could not be reached before press time to comment on what officials there may do as a result of the CDC guidance alteration.
What else is new at GCPS
An altered COVID landscape isn’t the only change for the new school year. New school facilities and new policies will greet some students and their parents.
In the Gwinnett schools, procedures on visiting will be tightened up. Campus employees will start using a tool called Raptor enabling each school building to screen all adult visitors against the National Sex Offender Registry.
That will dictate a change in the sign-in process, said school officials. After visitors show up and are “buzzed in” using a bell on the visitor management panel, they’ll head to the front desk. Staffers will ask first-time adult visitors for a drivers’ license or other state-issued ID. After cross-checking visitors against the database, those who are cleared get a detailed badge with the name of the visitor, the date and the reason why the visitor’s on-campus.
A district news release indicates subsequent visitors will be screened as well.
Also new this year, more surveillance cameras are being installed in district high school stadiums. “As a district, we have a responsibility to ensure the schools are safe and secure for our students, staff and visitors,” said Al Taylor, GCPS Associate Superintendent for School Improvement and Operations in a news release.
Also new in Gwinnett this year is the opening of a School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High School. Administrators call it a state-of-the-art facility with more than 50,000 square feet of new space, where students can delve into performing and visual arts as well as arts technology classes.
In addition, Benefield Elementary and Grayson High School added classrooms, and Berkmar High School added theater performance facilities.
Growth and changes at local private schools
At Greater Atlanta Christian, Chupp said the new school year won’t bring any noticeable changes other than a shift in the structure of class schedules.
Some changes and upgrades are in the works at Wesleyan School. Cleveland said this fall will mark the debut of the school’s newly redesigned cross-country course, the last piece of the recently developed Hoyt Family Athletic Complex.
It includes a 13,000 square-foot fieldhouse plus other amenities. Also, growth in the school’s STEM program dictated construction of a STEM wing in their library as a temporary home for the program.
Incidentally, this year is the 25th anniversary of the first day of the school on the Peachtree Corners campus, following a 1996 move from Sandy Springs.
Students and parents at Cornerstone Christian Academy will see substantial physical changes, including demolition of the middle building and creation of a campus mall with a stage on one end. A plaza will be added on the other. A middle school plaza is also being added.
■ Watch for further changes in COVID guidance and mandates on the Peachtree Corners Magazine website.
