New Worth County Superintendent discusses upcoming school year

SYLVESTER, Ga. — With only a couple of weeks left before the start of a new school year, the Worth County School System is preparing while going through some big changes.

Just ask new Superintendent, Dr Shannon Norfleet.

He tells us, “Our community has been pretty clear about what their desires are for our school system. They’re 2-1 that they want the schools open. So we have to balance the desires of our community with the safety of our students.

Since taking the helm at the start of July, Dr Norfleet and Worth County educators have been working to ensure a safe return for students and faculty to the classroom

But they are preparing should the situation get worse.

Dr Norfleet says, “If and when we shut down, it is my intent that everybody will still come to work, and my teachers will continue to reach out to parents and students and let them know that students are going to get the appropriate instruction through distance learning.”

With the ever evolving situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Norfleet says that his idea of a successful first year in worth county ends one way: with full classrooms again.

“We are at a very trying time, there are superintendents who have been doing this for years and years that just don’t know which way to turn right now. So i will consider our year successful if we get school open and don’t have to shut down more than a handful of times,” says Dr. Norfleet.

As superintendents across the state are monitoring the pandemic’s case numbers, Dr Norfleet is one of many who’s hoping they can bring every child back into the classroom.

The Worth County School System has already moved the start date to Friday, August 7th.