Clayton County Schools Superintendent Morcease Beasley said Wednesday that the district will continue to operate remotely, even with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The Clayton County Public Schools Benchmark will remain,” Beasley said a day after the federal agency offered new guidelines. “The vaccine rollout to tier 1b must have the desired effect which should improve the data.”

The CDC on Tuesday said schools can reopen as long as districts adhered to social distancing and mask wearing. To do so, schools would have to limit eating in cafeterias and access to gyms, where ventilation is poor.

Clayton is one of the few districts in metro Atlanta that has not yet offered any in-person instruction this academic year. The school system said COVID-19 infections must fall to 100 cases or less per 100,000 people for six consecutive weeks before it will open buildings for classes.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A man rides a bicycle in the rain along 10th Street in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Rain moving in from the Gulf Coast will trail over the metro area both Friday and Saturday, but the bulk of it should fall south of I-20. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Featured

Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez