Cobb delays the start of the 2020-21 school year by two weeks

07/03/2020 Business, Sports


Students in the Cobb County School District will return to school two weeks later than planned.

Cobb school board members on Thursday delayed the 2020-21 start date to August 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The original start date was August 3.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the delay will give the district enough time to communicate information to families so they can make the best decision for their children. Ragsdale said no other changes will be made to the calendar, so the one-week breaks set for September and February 2021 will remain in effect. Teacher pre-planning dates will not change, and those employees who would normally start the year on August 3 will resume their duties that day.

“Basically, there are several things beyond our control that are making us have a much shorter window than necessary to adequately prepare us for the start of school,” said Ragsdale.

The district has also delayed the period of time for parents to decide whether to allow their children to traditionally attend school or continue to use the virtual learning option. The original window for parents to register their choice was July 2-10. No new date has been set.

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Ragsdale said the district will still offer parents the option of virtual or in-person learning options, and will be required to commit to a method for one semester. Parents who choose one option for the first semester will be able to switch to the other for the following semester, Ragsdale said.

The district will not require students returning to class to wear masks, but Ragsdale said they are “absolutely expected and highly recommended.” Cobb schools are still working to determine if students who choose the virtual option will be able to participate in on-site extracurricular options, Ragsdale said.

School board members Jaha Howard, Charisse Davis, and Brad Wheeler asked the superintendent about student access to digital learning devices. The Cobb Schools Foundation coordinated a campaign to provide less fortunate students with laptops and other items they could use to learn from home. The initiative prioritized middle and high school students, so some elementary students did not receive devices, Howard said.

Ragsdale said the district does not have an infinite number of laptops, but said the system will work to identify students and families who need these resources.

Howard also said delaying the start date by two weeks will give teachers and staff more time to adjust to the new demands of educating children during the pandemic. He also said he hopes the district will consider improving the flow of communication with parents.

"I think we have room to be more direct, clearer with our information so that parents can commit to this one-semester decision and be on the boat with us," he said.