School reopening bill passes in NC legislature; here’s what the governor says about it
The North Carolina state legislature sent the governor a bill that would require the state’s K-12 public school districts to offer in-person learning again, after nearly a year of remote learning for some students. The House voted 77-42 on Wednesday.
Earlier versions of the bill passed both the Senate and House with bipartisan support. Republican lawmakers urged colleagues to support it given the impact of remote-only instruction on some children’s mental health as well as taking into account the latest guidance and studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sen. Deanna Ballard, a Watauga County Republican and co-chair of the Senate education committee, said the new version resolved a detail both chambers worked out over the weekend. The bill adds that local school districts will create plans to address alternative work assignments for teachers at high risk for COVID-19, and give the same options for those who are caretakers of children at higher risk.
Both chambers passed the bill with enough votes to override a veto if Gov. Roy Cooper vetoes it. Cooper is a Democrat. The bill is Republican-sponsored and the General Assembly has a Republican majority in each chamber. To override a veto, a supermajority is needed, and both chambers had enough Democrats voting in favor of the bill to do that. The governor could also let it become law after 10 days without his signature.
What school districts are doing
Some North Carolina students haven’t had in-person learning since Cooper first closed schools in mid-March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic began to spread in the state. In August 2020, schools were allowed to reopen all-remote, in what’s known as Plan C, as well as under a Plan B option that required masks and social distancing of six feet. By October, elementary schools were allowed to open under Plan A, which has less social distancing. About 20 of the state’s 115 school districts still kept to online-only, including Durham Public Schools in the Triangle.
The largest school district in the state, Wake County, started sending students back to in-person learning in October, but then closed after winter break. Wake started back up this week and added high school in-person instruction for the first time, a decision made shortly after the governor’s urging of schools to reopen.
Bills that don’t need Cooper’s signature include local bills, and one House representative has already filed one to reopen schools in her district and a few others around the state.
Rep. Pat McElraft, an Emerald Isle Republican and the House deputy majority whip, is the sponsor of House Bill 90, which would require some school districts to offer Plan A in-person instruction. Those included are Asheboro city, Carteret County, Haywood County, Randolph County and Yancey County school systems.
The state’s traditional public schools still offer online-only instruction to students who want it, a provision also included in SB 37. Charter schools are not included in the reopening bill. Lawmakers have said that because charters are optional, families could choose to go to their base school for in-person instruction if their charter does not have it.
Cooper addresses the reopening bill
Cooper sent a statement via a press release before the House vote Wednesday:
“Children should be back in the classroom safely and I can sign this legislation if it adheres to DHHS health safety guidance for schools and protects the ability of state and local leaders to respond to emergencies. This bill currently falls short on both of these fronts,” Cooper said.
Cooper did not say, however, that he would veto it.
The bill requires school districts to offer a full-time, in-person instruction option — Plan A — to special needs students. It would also require schools to offer either Plan A or Plan B to all students. The latest state guidance calls for Plan A only for K-5 students, and Plan B for 6-12.
Teachers and other K-12 staff are next in line for vaccines, starting on Feb. 24. The North Carolina Association of Educators had pushed for teachers and school staff to be prioritized for vaccinations. They will go first in the next phase of vaccinations for front-line essential workers. Health care workers and people age 65 and older are currently eligible for vaccines.
Cooper recently signed a new COVID-19 relief bill that included $1.6 billion to help with reopening schools.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Spotify. Apple Podcasts. Stitcher. iHeartRadio. Amazon Music, Megaphone or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 3:07 PM with the headline "School reopening bill passes in NC legislature; here’s what the governor says about it."