Atlanta high school voting-rights pep rally prompts COVID concerns

A pep rally to promote voting and civic engagement among Atlanta’s high school students has some worried the event could spread more than a passion for democracy.

Teachers and others are concerned Tuesday’s outdoor gathering at the Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will lead to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Students from across Atlanta Public Schools are scheduled to depart in the morning and return hours later after enjoying live entertainment, a zip line, gaming station, Ferris wheel, food trucks and other attractions.

While many applaud the cause, part of an initiative called “Democracy Class Atlanta,” some question why the event is happening during a pandemic.

“So many of our students both at this school and at other schools are unvaccinated. This seems to really go against every safety protocol that we have in place,” said James Sullivan, who teaches U.S. history at Midtown High School.

The number of COVID-19 cases reported by APS each week has fallen by more than half since late August. For the week ending Sept. 24, the district reported 183 cases among students and staff. That’s down from a high of 466 cases for the week ending Aug. 27.

In a written statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, APS said students must practice physical distancing and mask rules “will be strictly enforced.“ The district said “a large number of central office staff members and administrators” will act as chaperones. APS police and the stadium’s security team also will monitor the event.

“The Pep Rally is designed as a fun and engaging experience to reinforce the lessons being taught in Democracy Class. APS carefully considered the size and scope of this event to make sure COVID-19 concerns were addressed with Rock the Vote event planners,” the statement said.

APS said Rock the Vote, a national nonprofit, is paying for the event. In August, the organization and other partners launched the “Democracy Class” project, which seeks to teach APS students about the right to vote and the electoral process. Other partners in that effort include AMB Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Atlanta Falcons.

Rock the Vote spokesman Andrew Feldman said “students’ safety is of the utmost importance,” and organizers are going beyond state and local protocols to protect against COVID-19.

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day.

A flyer for the upcoming pep rally indicated it was for all of the district’s 11th and 12th grade students, a number that would bring several thousand students together. But on Friday, APS said early registration information suggests “several hundred students” will attend.

Sullivan said the initial plan called for Midtown to bring 400 students. He wrote an email last week on behalf of fellow teachers to school administrators detailing their safety concerns, including how contact tracing would be conducted if needed after the event.

About a quarter of APS students eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine had been fully vaccinated as of late August, according to district data. At Midtown, the rate was 55%; several high schools hovered in the single-digits.

The group We Demand Safety APS, which formed last year in response to pandemic safety concerns in schools, also weighed in. In a Sunday tweet, the group called the pep rally a “bad, bad, bad plan.”