The DeKalb County School District will allow student-athletes participating in fall varsity sports to voluntarily return to activity on June 22, 2020. In accordance with Georgia High School Association (GHSA) guidelines, the district will only allow athletes to participate in conditioning and weight lifting exercises at this time.  Students will not participate in any form of competitive play and will not have access to balls, bats or other sport specific equipment.

 The District is committed to following the recommendations and restrictions included in the guidance provided by GHSA, Georgia Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  A re-entry plan has been developed, consisting of preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 including wearing of masks/face covering, ensuring the availability of disinfectant, wiping down equipment, providing hand sanitizer, placement of signage to encourage social distancing, symptom monitoring and a temperature screening of every student-athlete and coach daily.  School nurses will support the re-entry process by assisting with temperature screenings and student monitoring. Per GHSA guidance, students must bring their own water bottles to the conditioning sessions. Water fountains or water “cows” are not to be used.

While the district is targeting precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we will also monitor “wet bulbs” for heat related conditions, ensure completion of health form requirements and ensure the availability of Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment when conditioning. The plan will be re-evaluated periodically to determine if adjustments are needed based on updated GHSA guidance and information received from health partners.

Our goal is to keep everyone safe as we transition back into athletic activity. The Athletics Department, Regional Superintendents, Principals and Coaches have participated in training sessions to review guidance provided by GHSA, the district implementation plan and general monitoring expectations.  Each group will play a role in monitoring the activity of athletes to ensure compliance including site visits throughout each week.