Thursday was the first day of the 2020-21 school year for the Rome City and Floyd County Schools. For many of the students, it marked their return to the classroom for the first time in five months. Others chose to continue with the virtual learning in this era of coronavirus.
Floyd County Schools now offer a COVID-19 Weekly Status Report; the link to this week’s report is posted to the school system’s Facebook page. Positive cases will be tracked per school and reported to the Georgia DPH, as stated in an FCS release. A rise in case levels will result in a shift to a new scenario at that particular school for the following week to allow for contract tracing and increased sanitization. The percentages of positive cases will be based on the individual total school population that includes all staff and students. Positive cases will be tabulated every seven days. The FCS Superintendent will issue a status report to the public for each school each Thursday at 3 pm so parents may make necessary childcare arrangements for the following week. Virtual learning will proceed for all students enrolled at the FCS Virtual Academy, no matter the scenario. The GADPH retains authority to close schools based on COVID-19 community spread and hospitalization rate.
The Rome City Schools appear to be ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the brand new school year. A post on that system’s Facebook page reads, “Whether you are on campus or tuning in virtually, we cannot wait to see what this year has in store for our students!”