We have adjusted the school calendar in order to extend preplanning (see The First 15 Days of School Calendar for details). Preplanning for staff members begins August 3. This extension will give us an opportunity to implement new safety protocols and review them with staff and students. Students will report on August 24 for the first day of school. Please note: these dates are subject to change due to factors outside of the district’s control. We must follow directives from the government and the State Department of Education.

There are several reasons: First, many of our families need their children to return to school so that they can return to work. For many, the financial impact has been devastating. Secondly, although our School-from-Home model works in the short term, research indicates that over extended periods of time our most fragile learners run the risk of losing ground in literacy and numeracy. Finally, schools provide critical resources to young people who suffer from physical and emotional trauma. We need to reconnect those students to resources that ensure their well-being.

Yes. For those families who feel that virtual learning best meets their needs, the district will offer a virtual learning option. Surveys have been sent to all families asking their preference between in-person instruction and virtual learning. The survey also allows parents to indicate they are undecided.

The district will continue to seek guidance from the Governor’s Office, the CDC, the State Department of Health, and the State Department of Education on what mode of delivery is best for the students of Hall County. In these days of constant change, we must be flexible and ready to adapt.

Commitment to either virtual or in-person instruction will be through the end of the semester. However, unlike many other districts, the Hall County School District is giving families until August 28, the final day of the first full week of school, to make their decision.

Students who do not have a personal device for virtual learning should contact their school and check out a device. Currently we do not have devices for every elementary student. Additional devices are on order.

The current circumstances under COVID-19 pose many physical and psychological challenges. Adhering to social distancing protocols in the classroom is challenging to say the least. Principals will work with teachers and staff to implement social distancing in the classroom to the greatest extent possible.

Cafeterias will operate at 25 percent capacity in an attempt to socially distance to the greatest extent possible. Because every campus is different with regard to space and enrollment, breakfast and lunch procedures may differ from school to school. For specifics on cafeteria procedures, parents should contact their child’s school.

Traditional Open House will not be held in our buildings this year. Instead, only students in Kindergarten, 6^th grade, 9^th grade, and those students new to the Hall County School District will come into our buildings for face-to-face orientation. All other students will be offered online orientation. Please visit your school’s website for more details on its orientation offerings.

• All Hall County Employees, when working with team members or students, will be required to wear a mask and/or face covering.
• All students are required to have a face covering. When practical, and per CDC guidelines, students will be required to wear their face covering when not socially distanced from others.

Yes, but because these resources may be difficult to acquire in the future, we ask that families stock up as much as possible.

In order to minimize the spread of the virus, water fountains will be turned off and water dispensers will be available. Students should bring a water bottle to school.

Yes. Only essential personnel and support will be allowed on campuses. Additionally, practices such as bringing snacks in for birthday parties will be suspended.

Participation in athletics will be determined by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), and that decision will be based on guidance from the CDC and state government officials. At this time, these governing bodies have not reached a decision. Participation in fine arts, clubs, field trips, and other extracurricular events, will be determined based on the best information available at the start of school and on guidance provided by state and local health officials.

Yes. Students following the virtual instructional model will have the same opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities as those students receiving in-person (Brick and Mortar) instruction.

Spectator attendance at such events will be determined based on guidance from the GHSA, the CDC, the State Department of Health, the Governor’s Office, and the State Department of Education. It is too early to make that determination at this time.

If the district were to socially distance per CDC guidelines, each 72-passenger bus would only be able to transport 12 students at a time. The HCSD does not have enough buses or drivers to accommodate social distancing to this degree. Some students will be learning digitally rather than in person, so there may be fewer students using school bus transportation. Still, precautions will be taken to lessen the risk for bus riders. For example, depending on the weather, bus windows may remain open to increase ventilation. All riders will be required to wear a mask or face covering, and they will be spaced out to the greatest extent possible. Hand sanitizer will be available, and buses will be cleaned thoroughly after morning and afternoon routes.

Elementary students will be allowed outdoor recess time. Because every campus is different, parents should contact their child’s school for specific details on playground procedures.

Yes, they will be similar in terms of expectations for grading and due dates for assignments.

Yes. The HCSD maintenance department has worked with custodial services to develop a plan for cleaning all schools and classrooms before, during, and after the instructional day.

Yes. Health Services Coordinator Andrea Williamson-English will work with HCSD personnel and the District 02 Department of Public Health on contacting parents and conducting back tracing in the event of an exposure to a positive case.

Yes. For more information, please contact the Hall County School District Student Services Department at 770-967-5846.

Contact the school principal immediately to discuss next steps to ensure the safety of all students and to support your child’s learning.

The school nurse will evaluate the individual. Based on this evaluation, staff members may be sent home and students will remain in a designated waiting room with supervision while parents are contacted to pick them up. In both scenarios, the privacy of the individual will be respected.

The district plans to offer instruction in the various Career Technology Programs at all high schools, including the specialty programs at Lanier College & Career Academy. Dual Enrollment opportunities will be available to students at Lanier College & Career Academy, Ivester Early College and at on-site college campuses (Lanier Technical College, University of North GA and Brenau University).  Bus transportation from the home high schools will be available at certain times of the day to students taking advantage of the programs offered at Lanier College & Career Academy and Ivester Early College.

Internship opportunities will be available to students through the Work-Based Learning Program at Lanier College & Career Academy and at the traditional high schools.  Students/parents should reach out to their high school’s Work-Based Learning Coordinator for details.

Students who completed a Career Tech pathway last year or will be completing one this next year, may elect to take advantage of the End-of-Pathway assessment.  Students will need to communicate this to their instructor or to the Assistant Principal in charge of Career Tech Programs at their high school.

Yes.  A meeting will be held to develop a Digital Learning Plan for those students with IEPs whose parents choose the virtual learning option.

The preferred method of IEP meetings will be a virtual platform; however, parents may request an in-person meeting by appointment and with established safety guidelines implemented.

Additional information about Special Education can be found at https://www.hallco.org/web/special-education/

Yes, students with IEPs may apply for full time virtual learning. The process will include a meeting to develop a Contingency Learning Plan for providing services virtually. The documentation will reflect that the IEP is the district’s offer of FAPE but that the parent/guardian prefers the Contingency Learning Plan in light of concerns about COVID-19. This plan is not an amendment to the IEP but is a temporary plan in light of the circumstances in response to the current health crisis. Special education services and supports, including speech sessions and related services (occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.), will be offered during virtual learning for students with IEPs, but they may look different than they would in a brick and mortar setting.

At this time, we are planning for appropriately certified special education teachers from the district to provide special education services to students with disabilities participating in virtual learning. For students in adapted curriculum special programs, district staff will also implement Unique, a computer-assisted program that has been in use with the students in these classes since the 2018-2019 school year. Special education teachers and other providers may not be the same ones who have previously taught or worked with the students who are served virtually.

In person, special education services and supports will be provided as they have typically been provided, in accordance with each student’s IEP but with district and school-wide safety protocols currently being implemented. Special education providers will continue to provide services both in general education classrooms and in small groups outside of general education classrooms, as required by each IEP. Exposure and transitions will be minimized as much as possible, but special education providers will provide services in multiple classrooms and with different groups of students who may be from different classes. The district will use established protocols for face coverings, social distancing to the greatest extent possible, temperature checks, and sanitizing.

Special program classes and small group classes have smaller numbers of students. Efforts will be made to encourage social distancing to the greatest extent possible; however, given the needs of many students, keeping students and staff 6 feet apart may not be possible.

In the event of additional school closures due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, students with IEPs will continue to receive special education services and supports through a virtual platform and possibly other alternate means, in accordance with the district’s plan for distance learning during emergency school closures. While services and supports will look different in distance learning, the district is committed to providing the best services and supports that we can in light of the circumstances so that our students continue to receive a free appropriate public education.

Students who select to attend school in person but who have medical conditions that prevent them from attending school for more than 10 days may get an application for hospital homebound services from their school counselor. The packet must be completed by the student’s doctor per hospital homebound procedures. For students with IEPs, the IEP team must meet to determine appropriate special education services as part of the hospital homebound process. These students may also select digital learning services that are available to all other students during the enrollment period.