NC high school closures leave Class of 2020 unsure how they’ll graduate this spring
State and local education leaders are trying to reassure North Carolina high school seniors that they will graduate this spring despite schools being closed due to coronavirus.
There are 100,563 public high school seniors in North Carolina, many of whom were planning to graduate in May or June. The news that public schools will be closed through at least May 15 caused state leaders to say Monday they’ll provide additional guidance soon on specific issues related to seniors.
“We are particularly aware of how important a return to regular school will be for our seniors, the Class of 2020,” State Superintendent Mark Johnson and the State Board of Education said in a joint statement Monday. “We are in direct contact with our partners in higher education and understand our seniors have unique needs at this time in preparation for further education and the workforce. “
The start of the statewide school closures in mid-March came at a particularly bad time for seniors.
Seniors uncertain about prom, graduation
Seniors are completing the courses they need to meet graduation requirements. They’re also going through the process of getting into college as they send out transcripts and wait to hear about college acceptances.
The school closures and public health steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 also have thrown uncertainty into whether students will have events such as proms, graduation ceremonies and other senior year activities.
“As you are all aware, this pandemic has changed your senior year in significant and profound ways,” Wake County Superintendent Cathy Moore said in a message to seniors. “Traditions that you, your families, and your communities have been anticipating for four long years are now in limbo.
“None of us are responsible for this situation. Yet, I feel compelled to say I am sorry. As a parent and former principal, I know this is painful. These are, to say the very least, uncertain times.”
At the state level, Johnson said Monday that a team is working to ensure that seniors “still will be on track to graduate this June.”
Ideas that have been floated include having seniors take online courses through the state-run N.C. Virtual Public School.
In Wake County, the state’s largest school district, an online Q&A at www.wcpss.net/classof2020 has been put together to help seniors.
The answer for many questions though, such as whether proms and graduation ceremonies will be held and how spring grades will be issued, is the information isn’t available yet.
Theo Ross, 17, a senior at Broughton High School in Raleigh, said he and his classmates just want to get some definitive information.
“It’s a weird time to be a senior,” Ross said in an interview. “Every senior would like to be able to graduate in the spring. But whether they’re going to change that is a little scary. I would hope, given the conditions, they’d understand we don’t have control over that.”
Wake is telling its 11,560 seniors that it’s committed to helping them graduate.
“I want you to know that we share so much pride in everything you have already accomplished,” Moore said. “After you graduate — and you will graduate — you will move on to be leaders in your collegiate, military and professional lives. I have unending faith in you today and your successes tomorrow.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 2:54 PM.
