EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer Schools has been busy in its transition of 6th Grade students to virtual and distance learning after last weeks spike and subsequent closure of the grade level.

Although other grades have seen some positive cases, Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs said that the other grades are fine and will not close. She addressed a question from FYN about some cases in other grades as being minimal compared to the 6th Grade spike. She said that the school system regretted having to take this action, but wanted to support and protect students health and wellness as well as that of the staff.

During their October meeting, the Board of Education heard an update from the Superintendent about the Virtual Academy. While some exceptions have been made for some struggling in virtual or extenuating circumstances requiring students to move to virtual, the general number has operated on a downward slope since August.

According to the report presented, as of August 17, the school system had 875 student in the Virtual Academy. Now, as of October 14, the report indicates 558 students. However, Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs stated during the meeting that the number was actually 547 students as of October 22, 2020.

However, Downs went on to note that the school investigated further into the numbers as they began noticing a nearly 80 student decrease from last year. Downs said that as they investigated, they found records and paths for every single student in the decrease. Many of them moving to full homeschool education or transferring to another school.

While this number seems small compared to the total enrollment of nearly 4000 students in the system for K-12, Downs said the number stood out to her as she was worried there may have been students not participating in either system or left out by mistake.

While these numbers are set up for Gilmer’s Virtual Academy and the school is now dealing with an entire grade level moving to distance learning, details like this are showing a decrease in quarantines and isolations as, according to Gilmer Schools, “317 students have returned to traditional instruction.”

Downs said in the meeting, “I truly believe that they get a better education face-to-face than online. I am glad that we have had so many return.”