Most in North Carolina oppose sending kids back to school — for now, survey finds
Most in North Carolina aren’t ready for children to go back to school now, a new survey finds.
Roughly 44% of parents say it could be three to 12 months until they feel comfortable sending kids to school, day care or camp, results show. Another 16% say it would take them a year, and 3% wouldn’t again feel at ease with the idea, according to findings Chernoff Newman published this month.
But some North Carolinians are OK with children heading to school under the current conditions.
About 18% say the idea already makes them comfortable, and that same portion expects to feel that way sometime “over the summer,” according to results from the marketing firm.
Public school buildings have been closed since March to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Gov. Roy Cooper last week said schools would reopen the next academic year with a “moderate social distancing” plan, The News & Observer reported. The option, called Plan B, would limit the number of children in schools, mandate face coverings and include temperature screenings.
Districts could also choose Plan C, which calls for learning completely online. The state’s biggest school systems are planning for or considering virtual instruction to start the school year, The News & Observer reported.
Most agree with mask requirements
North Carolina residents in the survey also seemed to back Gov. Roy Cooper’s face mask mandate.
A majority say they are in favor of state officials requiring masks — including about 53% who “agree strongly” and 20% who “agree moderately,” results show.
Twenty-five percent of people disagree with the requirements, and nearly 2% weren’t sure how they felt, according to Chernoff Newman.
The firm says its survey was conducted from June 23 to July 1, which means it began the day before Cooper announced face coverings would be mandatory in public places statewide. There are exceptions for young children and people with some medical conditions, The News & Observer reported.
Wearing a mask can help stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To come up with its findings, Chernoff Newman says it conducted an online survey of 500 residents each from North Carolina and South Carolina. It had a “corresponding sampling error of +/- 2.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level,” according to the firm.
The survey also included questions about the economy, social distancing, traveling and other pandemic-related topics.
