Pandemic (Covid-19) Safety Protocols

Georgia Cyber Academy operates primarily virtually; however, on occasion there are circumstances where employees, contractors, vendors, service providers, parents, students, and community members may need to engage in face-to-face (in-person) meetings or operational functions.

If in-person interactions take place,

• risk management forms, temperature checks, and the sanitizing of hands may be required prior to attending a GCA training, meeting, conference, activity, and/or prior to entering the GCA offices,
• masks may be required of all individuals present at any GCA in-person activity and/or at the GCA offices,
• social distancing guidelines will be communicated and must be followed,
• straws are to be used when consuming liquids so that masks stay in place, if applicable
• gloves will be available for those that wish to use them,
• frequent hand sanitizing is highly encouraged throughout the training, meeting, conference, activity, while at the GCA offices,
• and all areas are to be sanitized between use of shared spaces and/or at the end of the day.

If food is provided, served, or consumed where in-person interactions take place then these items shall apply/be followed.

• If food is provided by GCA all preparation and serving practices will adhere to Governor Kemp’s Executive Orders.
• While consuming food, strict 8 ft or more social distancing will be enforced while masks are removed for food consumption. When possible, food should not be consumed with others in a shared space.
• All trash from the food consumption must be properly disposed of in the provided receptacles.
• The entire area and items within the area where food was consumed, including chair arms and the top/back of chairs must be sanitized.
• Hands must be sanitized after food has been consumed, all trash has been discarded, and the area where the food was consumed has been sanitized.

Georgia Cyber Academy is a fully online school and, as such, instructional and academic programs are minimally affected by pandemic situations; however, in-person evaluations, services, state testing, events, activities, and field trips may be altered, postponed, suspended, or changed as needed in pandemic situations. Patience and understanding is appreciated should these situations arise.

IF State Milestones Testing is suspended or waived by the state,

• GCA will replace the end of year state EOG assessments with an alternate VIRTUAL summative assessment in grades 3-8. This data point will serve as a replacement for the Milestones Assessment data point in GCA’s retention, promotion, and placement protocol.
• In high school, a summative VIRTUAL final exam will replace the Milestones EOC Assessment in EOC courses, and it will count for 20% of the high school EOC course grade. This is the same format that is used in all GCA high school non-EOC courses.

Senior Graduation and Honors Day may be conducted virtually, postponed, or in very RARE instances canceled if it is determined that this is the best course to take to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, families, and staff.

Special Education IEPs may need to be amended to transfer in-person services to virtual/online services until in-person services can resume.

(GCA will adhere to ALL Federal and GaDOE guidance/requirements on protocol for amending and/or conducting IEP services in pandemic, natural disaster, and/or during state of emergency situations.)

Special Education and other evaluations in some limited cases may need to be postponed during a pandemic until in-person evaluations can resume.

(GCA will adhere to ALL Federal and GaDOE guidance/requirements on protocol for conducting IEP and other evaluative services in pandemic, natural disaster, and/or during state of emergencies situations.)

In-person field trips, activities, events, trainings, or tests may be suspended without notice as a precautionary safety measure and/or due to circumstances beyond our control. Virtual/Online options may be substituted for in-person events when possible if these situations occur