What becomes of the almost hired?

A wrinkle that surfaced as school districts began closing buildings to help curb the spread of COVID-19 was that people ready to begin work were put in limbo.

DeKalb County School District officials said 21 people were set to begin work on or after March 12. Of those, 10 with a start date of March 13 had cleared all hiring requirements and already have been entered into payroll, the district said. The other 11 were at the “recommended for employment” stage.

“Hiring managers were vetting them to be scheduled for processing Thursday, March 19, 2020,” a district spokeswoman said. “These candidates are being placed on hold until the entire hiring vetting process takes place. We are staying in constant communication with these candidates regarding next steps.”

Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson previously said the district's buildings would be closed until further notice, hinting at a mid-April reopening. Several metro Atlanta districts are saying the same thing. Others, including many across the country, are mulling over ending the school year because of the virus and the anticipated amount of lost instructional time.

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