New academic support center for children of county workers may not open, after all

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Workers in one metro Atlanta county thought they found a safe way for someone to monitor their children while they are virtually learning -- but now, that solution may not happen.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones was in Rockdale County, where a new academic support center was supposed to have an open house Thursday.

It was called off, and it looks like the doors won't be open Monday either when school starts.

Officials had planned to open the support center for the children of county employees. The idea was that kids could spend their days in classrooms at Johnson Park and do their virtual learning under the supervision of adults so county employees wouldn't have to miss work. The program was free and 5 students had signed up.

It looks like plan won't move forward after some commissioners opposed the idea just days before the school year.

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Vice President of the Rockdale County PTA Council Alisha Sanders said she wonders what parents who are also county employees will do now.

"I thought it was an amazing opportunity for our county employees," Sanders said. "And we are talking 3 days before the school year. So the question is, what do the employees do now?"

Jones talked to Rockdale Commissioner Sherri Washington to learn what happened. Washington said the plug was pulled because there are better uses of the CARES Act funding that would have funded the center.

"We could service the entire community as opposed to just a select few people in the community," Washington said.

Sanders argued that this isn't about the entire community.

"We have to look at the thing as, these are our county employees," Sanders said. "These are the ones who make our county function every day."

Chairman Oz Nesbitt strongly supported the center.

"I'm confident that the board of commissioners will regroup on this idea and we'll be able to move forward," Nesbitt said.

Washington said she hopes a contingency plan she has will be supported by the board before the new school year.

Another commissioner said she has concerns about how the contracts were awarded for the center, and that’s why she came out against it.

Cox Media Group