1 million NC students will start school year virtually. Here’s a list of district plans.
Updated Aug. 27
More than 70% North Carolina’s public school students will kick off the new school year in August by taking their classes at home instead of in school.
The majority of North Carolina school districts and dozens of charter schools have decided that it’s not safe to resume in-person instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. The schools sticking with remote learning for the beginning of the new school year represent more than 1.1 million students, or 71.2% of the state’s K-12 public school enrollment, according to totals compiled by The News & Observer.
The new school year will start for many students on Aug. 17. The continued use of remote learning will cause challenges for parents who are juggling work and family responsibilities.
“In my 50+ years in public education, I cannot recall a time when our community needed to lock arms and work together more than right now,” interim Chapel Hill-Carrboro Superintendent Jim Causby said in a letter to families. “If you are able to work at home and supervise your children’s remote learning, perhaps you can reach out to a friend, a neighbor, or even a stranger who is required to report to a physical worksite, and offer for a child to participate in virtual school from your house.
“I realize this suggestion is beyond the scope of the local school district, but we are in a crisis and people need help.”
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Some school districts are trying to arrange childcare options so that parents can go to work during this period.
Group protests lack of in-person instruction
A group calling itself “North Carolina Education Is Essential” wants the State Board of Education to require school districts to allow individual schools to reopen for 100% in-person instruction. The group, which protested outside the Executive Mansion in Raleigh on Aug. 4, says districts can accommodate families who want 100% face-to-face learning and 100% virtual instruction.
“Parents are the most important stakeholders in this process and these school districts have not only failed to involve parents in this decision making process, they have failed to fully consider the potential negative and long lasting effects that our children may suffer,” the group said in a news release. “These issues span more than just educational and learning issues and include our concerns about the mental and physical well-being of our children whom we are charged with ensuring.”
Gov. Roy Cooper announced last month he’s allowing K-12 public schools to reopen in August under a “moderate social distancing” plan that limits how many students can be in schools and on buses. This Plan B also mandates daily temperature checks and health screenings, increased school cleanings and face coverings to be worn by all students and school employees.
Plan B requires schools to limit capacity so that they can maintain 6 feet of social distancing between people in classrooms. It also requires schools to limit buses to one child per seat unless they are family members.
But Cooper also gave school districts the option to use Plan C, which only has remote instruction. He’s not permitting schools to reopen for full-time, in-person instruction, which is Plan A.
Schools cite health concerns
At least 72 of the state’s 115 school districts and 54 charter schools plan to use remote learning for the opening of the new school year. School officials have cited reasons such as the negative trends in COVID-19 cases and how many school employees are uncomfortable with returning for in-person classes.
“The virus continues to spread across our state and county, and the number of confirmed cases continues to show increases day over day,” Franklin County Superintendent Rhonda Schuhler said in a video message to parents last week. “The largest percentage of cases in Franklin County are found in the age 0-49 range: the age range of our students and the majority of our staff.”
Many districts have said they’ll use remote learning for four or nine weeks and then decide whether to switch to some in-person instruction. But Chapel Hill-Carrboro plans to use remote learning into January.
Students haven’t received face-to-face instruction since Cooper ordered schools to close in mid-March to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. School officials say the online instruction this fall will be better than what was used in the spring.
List of NC schools opening remotely
Here are the districts and charter schools that have announced that they’ll open with remote instruction, which will begin Aug. 17 for most students. Click on the names and links to learn more about how long each district plans to be out.
This list will be updated.
▪ Alamance-Burlington: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Anson County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Asheboro City Schools: Elementary students and sixth-grade and ninth-grade students will attend in-person orientation during week of Aug. 17. Afterward, all students will go to remote learning until Sept. 21.
▪ Asheville City Schools: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Beaufort County: Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ Bertie County: Students will use remote instruction for the first nine weeks.
▪ Bladen County: Students will use remote learning to Sept. 11.
▪ Brunswick County: Students will start with remote learning for 4.5 weeks.
▪ Buncombe County: Students will get a two-week, in-person orientation before having remote learning only through at least Sept. 28.
▪ Burke County: Students will use remote learning through Sept. 11.
▪ Cabarrus Charter Academy: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Cabarrus County: Students will open Aug. 17 with remote instruction. The district will do a semi-monthly review to determine when to begin in-person instruction.
▪ Camden County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction, but goal is to transition Grandy Primary School to Plan B on Sept. 8.
▪ Cardinal Charter Academy (Cary): Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Cardinal Charter Academy at Wendell Falls: Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Carolina Charter Academy: Students will use remote instruction to Sept. 11.
▪ Casa Esperanza (charter school): Students will use remote instruction through Aug. 28.
▪ Caswell County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Chapel Hill-Carrboro: Students will use remote learning for the entire fall semester.
▪ Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Students start school year with remote learning only.
▪ Chatham County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Community School of Davidson (charter school): Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 7.
▪ Concord Lake STEAM Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first nine weeks.
▪ Craven County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Cumberland County: Students will use remote learning for the first six weeks.
▪ Currituck County: Students will start with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Dare County: Students will begin with remote learning for the first quarter.
▪ Davidson County: Students will come in during a one-week orientation period before using remote learning until Sept. 14.
▪ Duplin County: Students will begin with five weeks of remote learning.
▪ Durham County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ East Wake Academy (charter school): Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Edenton-Chowan Schools: Students will use remote learning to Aug. 31.
▪ Edgecombe County: All students will be invited for in-person orientation during first week with most using remote learning for at least the next five weeks. Some students who receive specialized services may get in-person instruction sooner.
▪ Elizabeth City-Pasquotank: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Endeavor Charter School: No end date set yet for remote instruction.
▪ Envision Science Academy (charter school): No end date set for remote instruction announced.
▪ Exploris School (charter school): Students will use remote instruction for first trimester.
▪ Falls Lake Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first nine weeks.
▪ Fernleaf Community Charter School: Students will use remote learning for the first four weeks.
▪ Forsyth Academy (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Franklin County: Students will use remote learning for the first nine weeks.
▪ Gate City Charter Academy: Students will being with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Gates County: Students will use remote instruction for the first nine weeks.
▪ Global Scholars Academy (charter school): Students started school year 100% virtual.
▪ Granville County: Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ Greensboro Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first six weeks.
▪ Guilford County: Students will use remote learning for the first nine weeks.
▪ Halifax County: Students will use remote learning through Sept. 22.
▪ Harnett County: Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 25.
▪ Haywood County: Most students will begin with remote instruction with goal to get them back for in-person classes starting Sept. 21. A small group, such as elementary students who were struggling academically before COVID-19 and students with specialized learning plans, will have in-person learning earlier.
▪ Healthy Start Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning in first quarter.
▪ Henderson County: Students will use remote learning for first six weeks.
▪ Hertford County: Students will use remote instruction for first nine weeks.
▪ Hickory Public Schools: Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ Hyde County: Students will begin school year with remote instruction.
▪ Iredell Charter Academy: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Jackson County: Students will begin with two-week orientation period followed by two weeks of remote learning for K-12 students.
▪ Johnston Charter Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first six weeks.
▪ Johnston County: Students will use remote instruction through Oct. 15.
▪ Kestrel Heights School (charter school): Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ KIPP Charlotte (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ KIPP Durham College Preparatory (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ KIPP Halifax College Preparatory (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Lake Norman Charter School: Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ Langtree Charter Academy: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Lee County: Students will begin with six weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Lenoir County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Lexington City Schools: Students will use remote learning through Sept. 18.
▪ Longleaf School of the Arts (charter school): Uncertain when remote instruction will end.
▪ Madison County: Students will have a 1-week, in-person orientation period before going with all-remote instruction to Sept. 14.
▪ Martin County: Students will start with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Matthews Charter Academy (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Maureen Joy Charter School: Students will use remote instruction in the first quarter.
▪ MINA Charter School: Students will use remote learning through Sept. 5.
▪ Montgomery County: Students will use remote learning for six weeks.
▪ Mooresville Graded School District: Students will use remote learning for the first quarter.
▪ Mountain Community School (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first quarter.
▪ Nash County: Students will begin school year using remote learning.
▪ New Hanover County: Students will use remote instruction for first the first nine weeks.
▪ Northampton County: Students will use remote learning for the first quarter.
▪ Orange County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Pamlico County: Students will use remote instruction through Labor Day.
▪ PAVE SE Raleigh Charter: Students will begin with four weeks of remote learning.
▪ Peak Charter Academy: Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Pine Lake Preparatory (charter school): Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 11.
▪ PreEminent Charter School: Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Queen City STEM School (charter school): Students will use remote learning for first quarter.
▪ Queen’s Grant Community School (charter school): Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Raleigh Charter High School: Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 7.
▪ Raleigh Oak Charter School: Students will use remote learning to Sept. 18.
▪ Research Triangle Charter Academy: Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Research Triangle High School (charter school): Students will use online instruction indefinitely.
▪ Roanoke Rapids: Students will use remote learning for the entire first semester.
▪ Public Schools of Robeson County: Students will begin with remote learning for nine weeks.
▪ Rockingham County: Students will use remote learning through Sept. 18.
▪ Rocky Mount Prep (charter school): Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Rolesville Charter Academy: Students will begin school year using remote learning.
▪ Rutherford County: Students will start school year with remote instruction with hopes of having students begin some in-person classes on Sept. 8.
▪ Sallie B. Howard School (charter school): Students will use remote learning for the first quarter.
▪ Sampson County: Remote instruction will be used through Sept. 14 for K-8 students and Oct. 14 for high school students.
▪ Scotland County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Southern Wake Academy: Students will use remote learning for first month.
▪ Sterling Montessori Academy (charter school): No end date for remote instruction announced.
▪ Stokes County: Students will start with remote instruction for nine weeks.
▪ Summerfield Charter Academy: Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Surry County: Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 20.
▪ Thomasville City Schools: Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 7.
▪ Triad Math And Science Academy (charter school): Students will use remote learning for first quarter.
▪ Triangle Math And Science Academy (charter school): Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Tyrrell County: Students will use remote learning for first quarter.
▪ Vance County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Voyager Academy (charter school): Students will begin school year with remote learning.
▪ Wake County: Students will use remote instruction through at least the first nine weeks of the school year.
▪ Wake Forest Charter Academy: Students will begin with six weeks of remote learning.
▪ Warren County: Students will use remote instruction for first quarter.
▪ Washington County: Students will begin with remote learning with decision being revisited daily.
▪ Watauga County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Wayne County: Students will begin with three weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Weldon City Schools: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Wilkes County: Students will use remote learning through Labor Day.
▪ Willow Oak Montessori (charter school): Students will use remote instruction through Sept. 24.
▪ Wilson County: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote instruction.
▪ Winston Salem/Forsyth: Students will begin with nine weeks of remote learning.
▪ Woods Charter School: Students will begin with seven weeks of remote learning.
▪ Yancey County: K-8 students are getting one-week of in-person orientation before joining high school students in switching to remote learning to Oct. 16.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 5:57 PM with the headline "1 million NC students will start school year virtually. Here’s a list of district plans.."
