Purpose Built Schools Atlanta has prepared FAQs to address the most common questions parents have about the impact of COVID-19 on their children.
Do all of my children need to quarantine if one of them is a close contact of a positive individual?
Siblings of close contacts may still return to school while their sibling is quarantining. If the close contact ultimately tests positive for COVID-19, the siblings would then be considered close contacts and required to quarantine.
What should I do if my student may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 outside of school?
Let your teacher and school administrator know. We will help you determine if it is considered a close contact by CDC guidelines. We will handle each incident on a case-by-case basis.
What should I do if my student is sick?
If your child is sick, please keep them home. It can be difficult to differentiate between symptoms of COVID-19 and the common cold. Call your child’s doctor if you need help determining if your student is at risk of COVID-19. If you are very concerned, consider a COVID-19 test to be sure.
What should I do if my student may have COVID-19 but we don’t have a positive test yet?
Let your teacher and school administrator know. If we strongly suspect a student has COVID-19 (based on symptoms and the possibility of exposure), we may decide to go ahead and quarantine close contacts. We will handle each incident on a case-by-case basis.
Will there be a day off to deep clean the school buildings each week?
Surfaces are not considered a significant source of spread of COVID-19. While strong cleaning practices are still important, we are not closing schools mid-week for a deep clean. Classes will take place Monday through Friday.
What happened to the partitions and desk shields?
While some classes and offices may still choose to use them this school year, we discontinued their use in every classroom. Research has not shown partitions to have a significant preventative effect, and at best, they are most helpful in high-traffic areas like the main office. Teachers have the choice whether to use desk shields if they prefer.
Are schools still doing daily health screenings?
Staff and students should stay home if they suspect they may be getting sick. We have discontinued the use of daily temperature checks at the door because they were not meaningful in identifying early illness. We will continue to screen visitors, and we encourage at-home temperature screening by caregivers, if desired.
When can my student return to school after quarantining?
Please see our COVID-19 Safety and Prevention Plan for specific details on when students and staff can return to school. In all cases, please communicate directly with your school administrators and teachers to determine when it is safe to return to school.
Will my student switch to virtual learning if they test positive or are identified as a close contact and need to quarantine?
At this time, each school has a plan to support students academically while they are at home quarantining. Follow up with your school if you have questions and we will keep families posted on any changes or shifts to virtual learning.
With the increase of cases, is a virtual or hybrid option being considered to reduce the number of people in the school buildings?
Not at this time. We have confidence in our protocols and believe we can safely teach students in school. If you are interested in enrolling in 100 percent virtual classes, please contact your school administrator to learn more about Atlanta Public Schools’ virtual school option.
What do I do if I see staff or students not wearing their masks?
Contact your school administrator if you have concerns or see anyone not wearing masks. All students and staff are required to wear masks on campus, but can remove masks outside.
What are the schools doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus?
Please see our COVID-19 Safety and Prevention Plan for specific details on how we’re keeping our students and staff safe.
Will PBSA consider making vaccination mandatory?
We are exploring a variety of ideas to incentivize our staff to get vaccinated.
Are eligible students and staff required to get vaccinated?
While not mandatory, we strongly encourage vaccination among staff, eligible students and families. The vaccine is our best line of defense. The research on its effectiveness and safety continues to be strong.
Is COVID-19 testing required for staff and students?
Staff are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing, unless they have voluntarily submitted proof of vaccination. Although we highly encourage it, students are NOT required to participate in regular COVID-19 testing. Our schools strongly encourage all students to be tested weekly for COVID-19 at school every Friday.