Here’s how metro Atlanta school districts are starting the school year

The 2020-2021 school year will begin just like the previous year ended, with many of metro Atlanta’s children learning from home rather than the confines of a classroom. Teachers will check in virtually — via some video conferencing software allowing them to see the dozens of children they would normally engage with through rows or groups of desks.

Rising COVID-19 infections in the state are to blame, as many district leaders began the summer making plans to return to classrooms, only to see the numbers as too dangerous for face-to-face instruction.

The plans are constantly evolving. Gwinnett County Public Schools announced on Aug. 4 it would begin bringing students back for face-to-face instruction on Aug. 26. Fulton County Schools also has announced plans to bring students back for in-person learning after Labor Day.

As of now, several smaller districts will still make a run at in-person instruction, offering parents the option for face-to-face or virtual instruction, or a hybrid of the two.

News and updates are posted on the AJC Education news page. You can find news and resources about COVID-19 in Georgia on the AJC Coronavirus news page.

Atlanta Public Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 24)
• Teachers: Remote (teachers can work from classrooms with principal approval)
• Masks: Mandatory

Buford City Schools

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 12)
• Teachers: On site (teachers can work from classrooms with principal approval)
• Masks: Other (When social distancing is not possible)

Barrow County School System

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: Both
• Masks: Other (Encouraged, required in buildings when social distancing is not possible, mandatory on buses)

Cherokee County School District

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: On time (Aug. 3)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Encouraged

City Schools of Decatur

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: Remote (teachers may work from classrooms if they need)
• Masks: Mandatory

Clayton County Public Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 10)
• Teachers: Both (teachers must check with principals for individual school plans)
• Masks: Encouraged

Cobb County School District

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: Both
• Masks: Expected

Coweta County School System

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 13)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Encouraged

DeKalb County School District

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: Remote
• Masks: Mandatory

Douglas County School System

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Encouraged

Fayette County Schools

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Mandatory

Forsyth County Public Schools

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 13)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Expected

Fulton County Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Encouraged

Gainesville City Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: On time (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Mandatory

Gwinnett County Public Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 12)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Mandatory

Hall County Public Schools

• Learning: Hybrid
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 24)
• Teachers: On site
• Masks: Mandatory

Henry County Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: Delayed (Aug. 17)
• Teachers: Both
• Masks: Encouraged

Marietta City Schools

• Learning: Virtual
• Start: On time (Aug. 4)
• Teachers: Both
• Masks: Mandatory

Paulding County School District