Gwinnett County schools to return to in-person learning this fall

Gwinnett County Public Schools have announced that students will return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year, with a modified option for digital learning.

The district said the decision takes into account students’ academic and emotional needs, lower rates of COVID-19 infections, availability of vaccines for teachers and school staff and guidance from health experts and organizations.

“Plans for the fall reflect the district’s commitment to safety for its students and staff, with continued mitigation efforts such as the wearing of masks, provision of PPE, and strict cleaning regimens,” district officials said.

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All students will be scheduled for in-person learning, but parents will have the option to opt out. Students who choose the digital option will learn from digital teachers who may not be at their home school. This eliminates the need for teachers to teach digital and in-person at the same time.

The district is asking parents to make the decision to do digital learning for the entire year, but there will be the opportunity to go back to in-person learning at the end of the first semester.

Middle and high school students who choose the digital option may take some courses through the Gwinnett Online Campus or Georgia Virtual School. Course options may be more limited than for in-person students.

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Parents can choose different options for each of their children.

“Digital learning is not optimal for every student. Some students did not do as well academically, socially, or emotionally in the digital learning environment,” officials said. “Parents should consider how their child did during digital learning in making the decision for the 2021-22 school year.”

Information will be sent to families on March 22 via SchoolMessenger. Only families who wish to opt out of in-person learning for their students will need to complete the online form available in the parent portal. The deadline to submit the opt-out form is April 4 at 11:59 p.m.

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