Though making no official announcement during Tuesday night’s school board meeting, City Schools of Decatur Superintendent David Dude doesn’t appear close to putting students back in the classroom, at least for the immediate future.
“Looking at the data,” Dude said, during a COVID-related discussion, “we will likely remain in a virtual posture with the idea of bringing some kids back to [in person] extracurricular activities.”
Dude didn’t proffer an estimate on how much longer Decatur schools will remain virtual. Decatur’s K-12 schools opened August 17 (two weeks later than usual) with virtual instruction for all students through at least Sept. 25. Dude reiterated Tuesday that an official decision on the next phase, or how to proceed after Sept. 25, will get announced Sept. 18.
For months Dude has contemplated a hybrid plan for transitioning students back to the classroom full-time, which would include alternating classroom with remote learning. But on Tuesday he all but ruled that out.
“The more I look at the hybrid approach,” he said, "the more I think it’s not the best of both worlds but the worst of both worlds. There are a lot of challenges with hybrid . . . [meantime there are a] lot of great things happening in virtual right now.
“So,” he added, "should we be saying to folks, ‘all right, virtual is working, we’ve figured out a lot of things. Let’s continue [virtual] through the semester and then hope we can come back in January full in person and skip the hybrid phase?’ "
Dude also cited an in-district “micro survey” that drew 360 responses, with 60 percent saying they favored (for now) 100 percent virtual learning and 58.6 percent were “strongly against” 100 percent in-person learning.
The final seven days of August saw the average number of new coronavirus infections statewide fall close to 2,000 per day, the lowest level since June 30. Still Georgia was the sixth-highest state in new cases per capita over the last 14 days of August, according to figures kept by The Associated Press.
As of this week the state has surpassed 6,000 COVID-related deaths and is approaching 300,000 reported cases, with Labor Day-weekend numbers not yet known. The summer has seen dramatic spikes in infections, deaths and hospitalizations after both the Memorial Day and July Fourth holiday weekends.
Dude also announced he’s created a form for representatives of individual sports and extra-curricular activities to complete and return to central office. The completed proposals will get reviewed by a committee—not yet formed—that ultimately determines if an extra-curricular can resume or commence in-person activity.
So far no Decatur High fall sports team has begun its season. This includes football, softball, volleyball and the defending 5-A state champion cross country team. During an interview Wednesday CSD Athletics and Activities Director Rodney Thomas said he would need a decision on football and softball—whether to resume practices and begin playing games, or to cancel those seasons altogether—by “no later than next week, and that’s pushing it.”
Thomas added that Decatur’s football team, if it’s to have a 2020 season, must play its October 2 district opener against Arabia Mountain High.
Although numbers are fluid it appears that 10 Georgia school districts and about 67 Georgia high school football teams did not play last Friday, the Georgia High School Association’s date for opening the season. DeKalb County, with 19 schools that are GHSA members, postponed football games and other sports competitions until October.
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