Georgia School District Has Over 800 Students Quarantined After One Week

Just one week into the school year, and more than 800 students and 40 staff members at one Georgia school district have been quarantined after several tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Cherokee County School District, which has 40 schools and centers, 4,800 employees, and more than 42,200 students, posted the news on its website, citing the number of quarantined students and staff at schools within its district.

In a letter to parents, also posted on the school’s website, Superintendent Brian Hightower wrote, “We have students and staff reporting presumptive, pending and positive COVID-19 tests every day, and this will continue as we operate schools during a pandemic.

"We know we're under a microscope, as national media follows the reopening of schools across the country," he continued. "But know that our decisions are not based on what people in New York or Kansas think, nor are we concerned about 'optics' or 'image' – we're focused on what's doing best for our community.

The Cherokee County School District came under fire as photos of maskless students were posted to social media, showing dozens of students gathered together for a first-day-od-school photo.

Hightower hit back against the photo by saying that many of the students pictured “wear masks routinely.” Face masks are encouraged but not required in the school district.

“To that point, photos are snapshots of a moment in time, and while they don’t always tell the whole story, it’s important to investigate and address possible underlying issues,” he said. “The senior group photos taken outside before school on several of our campuses raised concerns that those students might not be aware of the importance of masks. Upon investigation, we learned many wear masks routinely, but we must continue to remind all students of the importance of masks when you cannot social distance.”

The news of the mass quarantine follows another photo of a student-packed hallway also at a Georgia school that circulated social media. In the photo taken at North Paulding High School, students were crowded together, with many not wearing face masks. The school has had nine students and staff test positive for COVID-19, after which, classes were moved to remote learning.