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APS schedules 2 online forums to hear from parents on reopening school
Atlanta Public Schools plans to hold the first day of classes on Aug. 10. District officials are asking parents for input on how school should reopen after coronavirus building closures. AJC FILE PHOTO/Alyssa Pointer
Updated June 16, 2020
Atlanta parents will get a chance to give their input on how school should resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Atlanta Public Schools will start the upcoming school year on Aug. 10. Officials said they haven’t decided what school will look like, and they are seeking parent feedback on reopening options.
The district will host two virtual town hall forums and provide information on potential scenarios. Incoming Superintendent Lisa Herring, who officially starts her job July 1 and is currently working as a district consultant, will participate. Members of the district’s COVID-19 task force also will be on hand.
The online forums will be hosted on the APS Facebook page. The first one will take place at noon Thursday. The second one, which will include Spanish interpretation, will happen at 6 p.m. June 22.
The district closed school buildings in mid-March in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
APS is studying three reopening scenarios: virtual instruction, traditional in-school learning or hybrid of those two.
The district plans to announce its reopening plan in early to mid-July. Officials have said the decision will be based on the public health outlook.
Parents have already left a host of questions about the reopening decision in the comment section of the district’s Facebook post announcing the forums. Among them: whetherschools will require students to wear masks, whetherparents can choose a fully virtual option for their children and how bus transportation would be impacted if students only go to in-person classes certain days or weeks.
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