Since the start of the new school year, 14 metro Atlanta school districts recorded 18,548 COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 27.
The largest counts were recorded by school systems in Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee and Forsyth counties, according to the districts’ data reports.
Most school districts also reported an increase in coronavirus cases in the final full week of August. For these districts, it was the third consecutive week of increases since students returned to classrooms for the new school year.
For the week ending Aug. 27, the districts recorded nearly 7,000 COVID-19 cases, according to data reports.
Less than 24% of Georgians between the ages of 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated, according to health data. Children under age 12 are not eligible for vaccines.
When asked whether they would push for a vaccine mandate, five metro Atlanta district superintendents participating in a forum this week sponsored by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution were not of one mind.
Clayton County Superintendent Morcease Beasley said a mandate creates a problem if “20 or 30 percent” of your staff refuses.
“I’m not going to solve a problem by creating a worse problem,” he said.
But City Schools of Decatur last week announced that it was working on a proposal to require vaccines for employees, and eventually students.
Masks are now required in all but six metro Atlanta school districts.
Below is a summary of the latest coronavirus data and news from Atlanta area districts. Districts do not post information in a uniform way. Some report new cases.
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools recorded 466 cases for the week ending Aug. 27. Of those, 409 were students, 57 were staff.
The highest counts were at Brandon Elementary School, which documented 32 cases and Washington High School, which had 23.
APS administered nearly 25,000 COVID-19 tests to employees and students in the first three weeks of school. The testing program has been voluntary, but after Labor Day employees will be required to take twice weekly tests.
The district enrolls about 51,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 466
Week ending Aug. 20: 395
Week ending Aug. 13: 224
Week ending Aug. 6: 90
Cumulative total: 1,175
Masks: Required
Buford City Schools
Buford City Schools reported 101 COVID-19 cases for the week ending Aug. 27. Of those, 91 were students, 10 were staff.
The highest case counts were at Buford Middle School, which had 36, and Buford High School, which had 26.
The district says it’s going to slow down its phase-in plan for visitors.
“We will move the start date from Sept 7th to Sept 27 for our K-8 volunteers and lunch visitors,” the district’s website said.
In addition, kindergarten students will be eating lunch in classrooms for the next two weeks.
The district enrolls about 5,525 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 101
Week ending Aug. 20: 71
Week ending Aug. 13: 30
Cumulative total: 202
Masks: Optional
Cherokee County School District
The Cherokee County School District recorded 640 active cases of COVID-19 for the week ending Aug. 27. It reported 546 students cases and 94 staff cases.
The highest counts were at Etowah High School, which had 58 cases and Dean Rusk Middle school, which documented 48 cases.
The district has approximately 41,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 640
Week ending Aug. 20: 832
Week ending Aug. 13: 565
Week ending: Aug. 6: 196
Cumulative total: 2,233
Masks: Optional
City Schools of Decatur
City Schools of Decatur recorded nine COVID-19 cases for the week ending Aug. 27.
Superintendent Maggie Fehrman said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the school system is working on a policy that would require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The school system is consideration drafting a vaccine mandate for students, too, but Fehrman said that would take longer. At present, children under age 12 aren’t eligible for vaccines.
The district enrolls approximately 5,700 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 9
Week ending: Aug. 20: 21
Week ending Aug. 13: 13
Week ending Aug 6: 10
Cumulative total: 53
Masks: Required
Clayton County School District
The Clayton County School District recorded 266 cases for the week ending Aug. 27. Of those, 232 were students, 34 were staff.
Nearly two dozen schools in the district temporarily pivoted to online learning in August due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The district enrolls more than 50,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 266
Week ending Aug. 20: 287
Week ending Aug. 13: 107
Week ending Aug. 6: 158
Cumulative total: 818
Masks: Required
Cobb County School District
The number of recorded active cases in the state’s second largest school district reached nearly 3,000 for the month of August, as of last Friday.
For the week ending Aug. 27, the Cobb County School District recorded 1,026 cases. Of those, 450 were in elementary schools, 255 in middle schools and 321 in high schools.
The district enrolls approximately 107,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 1,026
Week ending Aug. 20: 936
Week ending Aug. 13: 551
Week ending Aug. 6: 185
Cumulative total: 2,698
Masks: Optional
DeKalb County School District
The DeKalb County School district recorded 379 COVID-19 cases in its latest report, which spans Aug. 20-26.
Of those cases, 334 were students, 45 were staff.
DeKalb’s overall data doesn’t paint a true picture of active cases this month since the first week’s total included cases dating back to July 1.
Masks are required in the district, which enrolls approximately 93,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 379
Week ending Aug. 20: 428
Week ending Aug. 13: 289
Cumulative total: 1,811
Masks: Required
Douglas County School System
The Douglas County School System recorded 257 new COVID-19 cases for the week ending Aug. 27. The district’s report does not say how many cases were students.
The highest count was at Alexander High School, which documented 60 new cases.
Masks were mandated early in August after a 17-year-old student in the district reportedly died with COVID-19. Approximately 26,000 students are enrolled in the district.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 257
Week ending Aug. 20: 163
Week ending Aug. 13: 93
Week ending Aug. 6: 62
Cumulative total: 575
Masks: Required
Fayette County Public Schools
Fayette County Public Schools recorded 174 cases of COVID-19 for the week ending Aug. 27. Of those, 156 were students, 18 were staff.
The highest counts were at Starr’s Mill High School, which reported 22 cases and J.C. Booth Middle School, which documented 20.
Last week the district announced a mask mandate through Sept. 17.
The district has approximately 20,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 174
Week ending Aug. 20: 266
Week ending Aug. 13: 173
Week ending Aug. 6: 35
Cumulative total: 648
Masks: Optional until Aug. 24, then mandated through Sept. 17.
Forsyth County Public Schools
Forsyth County Public Schools recorded 967 active cases as of Aug. 27, including 857 students and 110 staff.
The highest counts were at North Forsyth Middle School, which documented 52 active cases and 13 new cases. Lakeside Middle School reported 56 active cases and 8 new cases.
The school system has approximately 51,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending. Aug. 27: 967 active; 165 new
Week ending Aug. 20: 877
Week ending Aug. 13: 289
Cumulative total: 2,133 active
Masks: Optional
Fulton County Public Schools
Fulton County Public Schools’ latest data report covers the period of Aug. 20-26. During that time, the district recorded 892 COVID-19 cases.
In addition, the district reported that 4,750 individuals had direct contact with another student or employee deemed positive for the coronavirus.
The district enrolls around 94,400 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Aug. 20-26: 829
Aug. 13-19: 625
Aug. 6-12: 306
Aug. 2-5: 91
Cumulative total: 1,914
Masks: Required
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools recorded 1,059 new cases of the coronavirus last week. That’s an increase of 245 cases over the previous week.
Last week’s totals included 958 students, 101 staff.
Gwinnett is the state’s largest school district, with approximately 177,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Aug. 23-29: 1,059
Aug. 16-22: 814
Aug. 9-15: 565
Aug. 4-8: 250
Cumulative total: 2,688
Masks: Required
Henry County School District
The Henry County School District recorded 471 COVID-19 cases in its latest report, which runs from Aug. 24-30.
Of those cases, 422 were students, 49 were staff.
In addition, the district documents 928 individuals in quarantine.
Six schools in Henry County switched to remote learning last week due to COVID-19 cases. They were: Oakland Elementary, Stockbridge Elementary, Locust Grove Middle, Luella Middle, Ola Middle and Dutchtown High.
The district has approximately 43,000 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Aug. 30 report: 471
Aug. 23 report: 480
Aug. 16 report: 245
Aug. 9 report: 69
Aug. 2 report: 14
Cumulative total: 1,265
Masks: Required, as of Aug. 9
Marietta City Schools
Marietta City Schools recorded 153 cases of the coronavirus for the week ending Aug. 27: 127 students, 26 staff.
Masks were optional when school started this month. But last week, the district started requiring them in buildings and on buses.
The school system has approximately 8,900 students.
COVID-19 cases:
Week ending Aug. 27: 153
Week ending Aug. 20: 94
Week ending Aug. 13: 54
Week ending Aug. 6: 27
Cumulative total: 328
Masks: Required, as of Aug. 23
Data journalists Jennifer Peebles and John Perry as well as reporters Kristal Dixon, Vanessa McCray, Leon Stafford and Ty Tagami contributed to this report.
This story has been updated.
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