Fulton Schools now surveying parents on in-person learning next semester

“At this point, we need them to commit to 9 weeks,” superintendent Mike Looney said Thursday at a school board meeting.

That’s a change from the district’s September survey, when families were not bound by their decision of virtual or in-person learning.

District officials have also announced expedited COVID-19 testing for students and staff after Thanksgiving.

Looney said the return to in-person instruction has been a success, but the number of teachers needed to quarantine because of the virus is straining operations.

There’s a roughly 50-50 split between in-person and online learning. Data has shown the highest rates of families choosing to learn in person are in North Fulton, and families that are Black or Asian chose to learn online at higher rates.

As for this week’s holiday, Looney said he is trying to avoid outbreaks at schools by offering expedited testing the Sunday after Thanksgiving and requiring remote learning Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1) to give adequate time for results to come back in.

CORE, a testing group backed by actor Sean Penn that has signed big deals in metro Atlanta, will offer free testing at the district’s North Learning Center (450 Northridge Parkway in Sandy Springs) and South Learning Center (4025 Flat Shoals Road in Union City).

Lynne P. Meadows, coordinator of students health services for the district, urged people to report cases using the district’s online portal.

Looney said CORE has promised to return results on average within 48 hours. Schedule a test online at https://covid19.dph.ga.gov/en-US/.

When asked if Sunday was enough time for the virus to present itself after the holiday, Looney said: “A significant number of people who were exposed positive on Thursday would have the protein already in their system and would test positive.”