Thank you for supporting us the past few days as we implemented districtwide virtual learning for all students. We know this has been difficult for many of our students and parents, but we believe this was necessary for BCSD to be true to our strategic objective Maintain a Safe Learning Environment for all students and staff in our facilities.

We have a developed a data-driven process for identifying the potential spread of COVID-19 in BCSD classrooms, grade cohorts, and schools. Using this process this school year, we have been able to determine some classrooms, parts of a grade cohort, and schools were best protected from COVID-19 spread by going virtual for a limited period of time.

Taking a broader view, our process for determining when the whole district should go virtual is not based on identifying the potential spread of COVID-19 in the district. Instead, our best method for determining when the district should go virtual remains using the community spread information provided by the North Central Health District and the Georgia Department of Public Health. We determined at the end of August the entire district should go virtual because the number of cases per 100,000 was more than 1,500 cases per 100,000 and rising.

Today, the number of cases per 100,000 remains high, but the latest data this week appears to show the community, like the state of Georgia and the nation, has plateaued and is declining. Additionally, we are implementing multiple strategies throughout our district that we believe increase the level of safety in our schools that others have not fully implemented. Examples include mandating masks, improved air quality, and almost 75% of staff vaccinated. We are close to adding an additional tool – weekly COVID-19 testing. Testing should be available and in place by mid-October.

Based on the above, as well as conversations with our healthcare advisory team, the Bibb County School District will return to in-person learning as planned on Monday, September 20, 2021.