When will NC schools reopen? Can students attend online? Answers to your questions.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced the plan Tuesday for North Carolina public schools to reopen for the 2020 fall semester.
Schools closed in mid-March and switched to remote learning in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the virus caused by the coronavirus.
We have answers to some of the big questions right now about opening schools.
If you have other questions about the reopening of schools, send them to bcain@newsobserver.com or khui@newsobserver.com.
When will NC public schools reopen?
Most students will start school on Aug. 17.
Will NC schools open for in-person classes?
The plan for in-person classes is taken from Plan B developed by the state Department of Health and Human Services. Under this plan, also known as the “moderate social distancing” plan, schools will limit capacity so that students and teachers can maintain six feet of physical distance from each other.
How exactly will this work?
The “moderate social distancing” plan to reopen schools limits the number of people who can be on campus at one time. It also means students may get a mix of in-person and remote instruction.
The reopening plan also requires daily temperature and health screening checks, and face coverings to be worn by school employees and students.
Are kids required to attend school in-person, or is there a remote learning option?
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is now requiring schools to set up online-only programs for families who consider themselves to be at high risk of COVID-19.
Wake County, for example, has set up the Wake Virtual Academy for remote learning.
How do I sign up my child for remote learning or home-schooling?
Interest in remote learning and home-schooling is high.
If you live in Wake County, you have the option of enrolling in the Wake Virtual Academy. As of July 14, 16% of students have already registered for the Wake Virtual Academy classes for fall, and a survey of parents indicates as many as 30% of students may sign up. You can get more information about Wake Virtual academy at wcpss.net/Virtual-Academy — but don’t delay, because the deadline is set for 5 p.m. on July 20.
The state is encouraging more school districts to create remote learning options for students.
Home-schooling is different. If you choose to home-school your child, it means you are pulling them out of the public school system and that you will provide the learning curriculum for your child.
But there is still a lot of interest. Last week, the website at the State Division of Non-Public Education was down for several days, stressed by the “overwhelming submission of Notices of Intent” — home-school registration forms. You can get information on home-schooling at ncadmin.nc.gov/public/home-school-information.
Will all counties follow the same school reopening plan?
Not exactly. Counties can tweak their plans, and will be allowed to follow more restrictive plans than the one outlined by the governor and the state Board of Education. But they cannot adopt a less restrictive plan.
For instance, school districts can adopt the state’s Plan C option, which is fully remote learning, if that option is a better fit for that area.
In any case, individual school districts will decide who can attend school each day under rules that ensure social distancing on campus.
In Wake County, for example, a plan has already been approved for a rotating schedule of one week of in-person classes followed by two weeks of learning from home. Wake school administrators also recommended splitting the system’s 161,907 students into three groups.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools have a plan ready that will have students go to school two days a week, but middle school and high school students will start online only before returning to buildings later in the fall semester. To help with childcare, Durham Public Schools will have elementary and middle school students go to school every day. But they’re requiring high school students to continue taking all their classes online.
Do children and teachers have to wear face masks?
Face coverings will be required for every teacher, staff member and student, from kindergarten through grade 12.
The state will supply every student and teacher with at least five reusable masks.
How will kids stay physically distant?
The reopening plan calls for a limited number of people in schools so that students can more easily stay 6 feet apart when they are seated or waiting in line.
School districts can also adopt plans that allow for alternating days, alternating weeks or other strategies to reduce the number of people in school at one time.
What other safety precautions will schools take?
▪ Schools will do “symptom screenings” daily of any person who enters a school. Schools must also create a way to isolate students who fail symptom screenings while they wait to get home safely.
▪ Schools will also create schedules for regular hand-washing and cleaning, and teachers will limit the sharing of supplies.
▪ Non-essential activities and visitors will be limited.
▪ The state also strongly recommends that schools implement other safety protocols, such as one-way hallways, keeping students in small groups, suspending large gatherings such as assemblies, and eating lunch in classrooms instead of cafeterias.
What happens if a student tests positive for COVID-19?
Dr. Mandy Cohen said on Tuesday that the state will follow the same protocol as when anyone else tests positive, starting with contact tracing and learning of that person’s close contacts. So in the case of a student, those in close contact with the student at school would be contacted and they would be advised to be tested.
Cohen said a positive case would not necessarily mean that a school will close, it will depend on the situation.
Will teachers who are at higher risk for COVID-19 have the option to teach online only?
The state is recommending that individual school districts develop policies for high-risk school employees. Page 6 of the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit addresses students and teachers who are in vulnerable categories. Regarding staff, it is recommended that districts “enable teachers and staff who self-identify as high-risk for COVID-19 to minimize face-to-face contact and to allow them to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, modify job responsibilities that minimize exposure risk, or to telework if possible.”
Is there help for child care if schools use a rotating schedule?
Districts like Wake and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, which expect to use rotating schedules, are working with community groups to find childcare options.
Wake plans to offer childcare at schools to help families of school employees.
Why did Cooper make this decision about reopening schools?
Cooper has said he would make his decision based on data and science.
New statewide figures released July 14 show new records set for COVID-19 hospitalizations and single-day death totals.
Do health experts agree about opening schools?
Earlier guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, often cited by proponents of the full reopening of schools, “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”
But the Academy has since dialed back its comments, saying “schools in areas with high levels of COVID-19 community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 3:46 PM with the headline "When will NC schools reopen? Can students attend online? Answers to your questions.."
