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This 1st day of school in Cherokee County looks very different than other years

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — School started in Cherokee County today and things are very different this year for students.

Some students were in the classrooms this morning for in-person learning and some stayed home for digital learning.

For those back in the school, students saw changes that were made to keep them and staff safe because of the pandemic.

[Here’s when Georgia schools start this year]

The families of about 23% of Cherokee County’s 43,000 students have opted for them to learn remotely from home.

Whichever option parents decided, they have to stay committed to that for the first nine weeks for elementary schools, and the entire fall semester for middle and high school.

[Cherokee County students will not be required to wear masks in class, school board decides]

Face masks in the county are mandatory for teachers and staff, but only recommended for students.

[COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Plans for returning to school this fall]

District staff say all classrooms have hand sanitizer, high-touch surfaces will be wiped down frequently and schools will use scheduling to limit the number of students in the cafeteria or passing in the hallways.

In the frequently asked questions section on the district’s website, it states due to space constraints, they will not be able to consistently maintain six feet of distance between students.

Also, the district is not doing temperature checks, but they ask parents to check their child’s temperature before coming to school and getting on the bus daily and the same goes for school staff.