Due To COVID-19 Concerns, Gwinnett Schools Will Begin The Year Virtually

July 20th, 2020

The Gwinnett school district is one of the last in metro Atlanta to make the shift to remote learning.

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Gwinnett County Public Schools announced Monday it will begin the school year with “100 percent virtual instruction.”

The district is one of the last in metro Atlanta to make the shift to remote learning. Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Henry and Clayton counties, the City of Decatur Schools, Marietta City Schools and Atlanta Public Schools have all laid out plans to begin the school year online.

At a school board meeting last Thursday, Gwinnett seemed prepared to offer face-to-face instruction with a virtual option for families. District officials presented plans for in-person classes, which included purchasing personal protective equipment, providing face coverings for all staff and students and putting hand-sanitizing stations in schools.

School board member Steve Knudsen said kids need to return to school.

“We’ve got to deal with the risk, and we also have to deal with the fact that we have families that could potentially be decimated because of this,” he said.

Other board members expressed concern for low-income students who depend on school services, like counselors and English language classes. However, Gwinnett board member Everton Blair questioned how Gwinnett — which leads the state in COVID-19 cases — could justify holding any in-person classes.

“Honestly, I see that many other districts across the Atlanta region have chosen to go all-digital to start,” he said. “It actually surprised me a bit to hear that all these other districts decided to go digital before we did.”

Gwinnett Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks indicated plans could change, depending on COVID-19.

“School starts in a little less than a month,” he said. “Who knows what can change? And I think we just have to be smart enough to make sure that when things do change make sure we reevaluate what’s there to evaluate to make sure we do indeed make the right decision.”

Gwinnett says online instruction will be different this fall than it was last spring.

Schools will take attendance and give tests and grades. Teachers will report to their schools to conduct online lessons. The district will also try to deliver digital devices and Wi-Fi hotspots to students who don’t have them before school starts.