Cobb Reporter

School officials in Atlanta said many safety precautions were instituted to help parents feel comfortable sending their children back to class, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

Area students returned to school on Monday.

Lisa Herring, superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools (APS), reassured parents who are concerned about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and multiple recent school shootings. 

"Our high schools have metal detectors, and this year we will be engaging with the community about a clear backpack policy," Herring told FOX 5 Atlanta.

APS parent Dianna Paxton is worried about the nationwide issue of school shootings and the pandemic.

"It is nerve-racking just to think about what could happen on the first day of school," she said. 

A clear backpack policy is expected to go into effect in Clayton County later this school year in an effort to increase safety.

District officials in Cobb County created a new position for an assistant superintendent of safety initiatives, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

COVID-19 guidance in local school districts is expected to remain the same as last year. "State law prohibits school districts from mandating masks for students, so they remain optional," FOX 5 Atlanta reported. 

Students will be tested two times per week and APS requires that staff members are tested weekly.