The Columbus City Schools District will allow in-person interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities to resume beginning Aug. 29.
The district is restarting in-person activities due to the decreasing trend in positive COVID-19 cases in the city of Columbus, according to data from Columbus Public Health officials. The Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System also showed that Franklin County is at a decreased level of “orange”.
If the local public health data regarding COVID-19 worsens, Columbus City Schools would consider suspending all in-person athletics and extracurricular activities again to help mitigate the spread of the virus in the community.
“When we made the decision to suspend in-person athletics and activities to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community, we were intentional about not postponing our fall seasons completely,” said CCS Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon. “We knew that if the data improved in our district boundaries – and we are pleased to see that it has – we could consider a return to play.
“We know how important athletics and extracurricular activities are to our schools and our community. But, most importantly, we know how much these opportunities mean to our students. As a district, we are excited to be able to provide these opportunities this fall while following health and safety guidelines.”
Additional details about schedules and return-to-play timelines will be discussed with school principals, athletic directors, and coaches.
CCS originally suspended all in-person interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities on Aug. 14.
