Apalachee High School sets plans to reopen after deadly shooting
Apalachee High School is planning a “gradual reopening” the week of Sept. 23, the school announced Friday — more than two weeks after police say a student shot and killed four people at the Barrow County campus.
Barrow County Superintendent Dallas LeDuff called it a “gradual opening” in a message to families Friday. Apalachee High Principal Jessica Rehberg called it a “phased return to school” in a message of her own.
School officials plan to have on-campus mental health support and space for relocated classes available for the return.
“I know that you, like me, are experiencing a range of emotions and trying to make sense of the tragedy that struck our community,” Rehberg wrote. “While we may never have the perfect words or answers to satisfy the questions and challenges that face us, I believe we are better together.”
School shooting in Barrow County, Georgia
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The shooting at the Winder school was the deadliest school shooting in the state’s history.
All other schools in Barrow County reopened on Tuesday. They closed for three days following the shooting.
“We believe we need to be together as soon as possible to move forward and to provide some sense of familiarity for our students,” LeDuff wrote in a message about the reopening plans.
A 14-year-old Apalachee High student has been charged with four counts of felony murder and is expected to face more charges. The student’s father, Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
About 1,900 students attend Apalachee High School.
Reporter Thad Moore contributed to this story.
About the Authors
Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida's Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
Jennifer Peebles is a newsroom data specialist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, helping reporters find and tell stories with government data (and sometimes documents, too).
