ATLANTA– Students at Apalachee High School, just outside Atlanta, will return to campus for half days starting next week, Barrow County school officials announced Tuesday, following a Sept. 4 shooting that left four people dead and nine others wounded.
The school board northeast of Atlanta said Winder High School will begin at its regular time of 8:15 a.m., but will shorten school terms between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4, ending at 12:40 p.m. That will be the start of the already scheduled fall break, with officials planning to resume full-day classes Oct. 14.
The idea is for Apalachee’s 1,900 students to “get back into a routine at a comfortable pace,” school administrators said in a online document. The district’s other 13,000 students returned to school last week, with Superintendent Dallas LeDuff saying more than 90% have returned.
In a recent joint video with LeDuff, Apalachee Principal Jessica Rehberg promised “a thoughtful, gradual return to school,” saying officials are “prioritizing the well-being and comfort of every student as we move forward together.”
On Tuesday, officials said there would be more police officers providing security, more counselors on hand for students and employees, and other resources, including therapy dogs, would be available.
Apalachee High School’s J Hall, the wing where the shooting occurred, will be blocked off and remain closed for the rest of the school year, Barrow officials said. For the rest of the fall semester, students taking civics classes will be bused to a building about 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) away, and temporary buildings are planned for the Apalachee campus in January.
The system indicated that an open day would be held for students and families on the main campus and in the satellite building on Monday.
The shooting cost lives teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were injured, seven of whom were hit by gunfire.
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the school, is charged as an adult with four murder charges, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed in connection with the injuries.
Authorities have also charged Gray’s father, Colin Grayclaiming that he is his son access to the gun while he knew or should have known that the teenager posed a danger to himself and others.