Henry County’s public schools have shifted back to Level 4 on their COVID-19 management plan in anticipation of a January 10 return to the classroom for students.

While assuring parents in a January 3 announcement that the district is still on track to resume on-campus, in-person learning, the immediate change in mitigation standards was deemed necessary “due to the recent significant acceleration of COVID-19 cases within Henry County, as well as across the state and country,” according to the statement emailed to parents.

“We have successfully adjusted mitigation strategies as COVID-19 conditions have shifted over the course of this school year through the use of data and in consultation with trusted health officials, hospital executives, and emergency management officials, who have advised returning to this level at this time to navigate the latest surge of the pandemic,” according to the statement.

Under Level 4, masks are required for all indoor spaces, including buses. Also, capacity is reduced for indoor extracurricular and public meetings. Field trips are suspended and campuses are closed to on-campus visitors except by appointment and for pre-scheduled activities.

The district’s COVID-19 management plan also allows officials to target specific areas as needed to transition to remote operations if necessary. Families are being encouraged to monitor themselves and keep their children at home if they are not feeling well and to let the school know if one of them is out due to illness or a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Officials stated that they are encouraged by the fact of most of the district’s employees have been vaccinated, which they call “the most effective mitigation strategy in the fight against this pandemic.”

The district is encouraging families to speak with their health care providers or pharmacists about the vaccination option if they have not already done so.

“The safety of 43,000 students, 6,000 employees, and their families is of the greatest priority for our school district, and we are doing everything we can on a daily basis to help mitigate the spread of the virus while responsibly maintaining an on-campus learning experience for students,” according to the statement. “We will continue to monitor and adjust our mitigation strategies as necessary and provide timely updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to ensure the health and safety of our school community.”