DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District announced its reopening plan on Wednesday, which outlines how some students will have the option to begin returning to in-person learning in mid-January.
According to a release sent out by the district, students in pre-K, 1st, 2nd, 6th and 9th grades will be allowed back on campuses, if they choose in-person learning, starting on Jan. 19. The remaining grade levels will return about a week later, on Jan. 25 under a hybrid model.
Staff will return to school buildings on Jan. 4. Telework "may be provided as an option for employees who qualify for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act," the release said.
The district said the re-opening plan was shared with parents during a virtual town hall on Monday night.
The school district said a risk mitigation strategy would include "consistent and correct use of masks," as well as social distancing "to the largest extent possible." Contact tracing will also be done with the help of the DeKalb Board of Health.
The plan to have some students resume in-person learning comes amid a COVID-19 surge bringing new highs to Georgia, with the seven-day moving average of daily new cases over 4,500 as of yesterday - substantially higher than the earlier surge the state saw in the summer.
DeKalb County, according to state figures, has registered about 500 new cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks, roughly in the middle of most counties.