Henry County Schools will be virtual only

Superintendent says classes begin Aug. 17 in parent-backed move.

Henry County Schools on Friday opted to go to a virtual-only school day when the 2020-21 academic year begins Aug. 17.

At a called meeting of the board of education for the south metro Atlanta district, the school system pushed back the first day of classes from Aug 3.

Members also approved a virtual-only format over other options, such as bringing students back to class for a traditional full eighthour school day or a combination of a traditional and virtual school day.

Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis said a majority of parents preferred the virtual-only option because of concerns over surging coronavirus infections in Georgia. Henry County alone added 600 new cases of COVID-19 infections since the district sent out surveys asking parents to choose an option July 8.

“We are in a pandemic,” Davis said. “And the information and the data changes absolutely every day. And every hour on most days.”

Henry’s move follows other districts in metro Atlanta that have opted to begin the new school year virtually because of spiking COVID-19 infections. Schools systems in Clayton, Fulton, Cobb and DeKalb counties and the city of Atlanta in recent days have announced starting the 2020-21 academic year with virtual-only classes.

Board of Education Chairman Josh Hinton praised school leaders, though he said he wished students could have a traditional school day.

“This is just an impossible situation. There’s people on both sides pulling you like Stretch Armstrong,” he said, referring toa popular child’s toyfrom the late 1970s.

The action will not impact the last day of school, which remains