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ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Rockdale County Public Schools(RCPS) is extending virtual learning for students through Oct.18, as chemical cleanup continues at the BioLab site. An Incident Management Team has been working at the site to remove hazardous chemicals and monitor air and water since a fire erupted at BioLab on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Officials had announced last Friday that students would use three days for virtual learning—this Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 7-9, but extended the time period after Rockdale government officials on Monday, Oct. 7, lifted its shelter-in-place for all of Rockdale, except for those within a 2-mile radius of the BioLab plant.
Superintendent Terry Oatts told parents that since half of Rockdale schools are located within a 2-mile radius of the BioLab site, students would continue virtual learning out of precaution. Officials have not stated how long they expect the cleanup to take. Rockdale County School District comprised of 18 schools and 15,601 students.
Oatts stated in the advisory to parents:
“Good afternoon RCPS Families,
We continue to monitor the cleanup at BioLab and its environmental impact. Officials have narrowed the area for the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shelter-in-place to be within a two-mile radius of the BioLab site. This may seem like a small geographic area, but approximately half of our schools are located within this defined range which requires that we take the necessary precautions. These precautions include extending our virtual learning to allow more time for interagency consultation and cleanup efforts at the site.
For the safety of all students and staff, Rockdale County Public Schools will continue virtual learning for Thursday, October 10th, Friday, October 11th, and the following week of Monday, October 14th through Friday, October 18th. This decision is being made now to give our families and staff adequate time to plan and prepare for extended virtual learning. School-based support staff and Central Office staff will also continue to work remotely. Our buildings will remain closed, and district and school activities will be rescheduled.
We still have not been given a definitive timeline for the completion of the cleanup, and that is understandable as it is a fluid situation. However, we want to be proactive in notifying families so that they can sufficiently plan. We understand that this is not necessarily ideal for our students, staff, and families, but we must prioritize the health and wellbeing of our students and staff above all else.”
Thank you for your patience and understanding,
Dr. Terry Oatts, Superintendent