East Cobb School Sends 5th Graders Home Due To COVID-19 Spike

EAST COBB, GA — A COVID-19 spike at an East Cobb elementary school forced officials to send fifth graders home early on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

Parents of fifth-grade students at East Side Elementary School were informed via email at about 9:30 a.m. that they would have to pick up their children before noon. East Cobb News reports that the email didn’t specify why only fifth graders were affected or how many cases of COVID-19 may have led to the decision.

The following statement was sent to media outlets by Cobb schools spokesperson:

“Based on our District protocols, fifth-graders at East Side Elementary School will learn virtualy August 12-20. When providing high-quality instruction in a classroom is not possible, due to the number of students or staff in quarantine, we look forward to each student receiving a high quality virtual experience through Cobb teachers and the Cobb Teaching and Learning System (CTLS).”

East Side fifth graders are expected to return to in-person learning on Monday, Aug. 23.

Cobb County’s transmission rate for COVID-19 is approaching five times the threshold for “high community spread," according to Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health. At the same time, Cobb County’s schools are one of the few metro-Atlanta districts not mandating masks.

Read the story from East Cobb News.

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