COVID-19 will change Wake County’s year-round schools. Calendar revisions are coming.
Wake County’s 40,000 year-round calendar students will get more answers soon on when next school year will begin.
Wake’s year-round schools are supposed to start the 2020-21 school year in early July, but the coronavirus pandemic is raising questions on whether that’s doable. On Tuesday, Wake County school administrators will present to the school board revised 2020-21 calendars for year-round schools, modified calendar schools, early colleges and restart schools.
“We know in particular that our multi-track year-round families are anxious about what planning looks like for the next school year,” Wake County Superintendent Cathy Moore said at a news conference Friday. “We want to make sure that we have options that provide an opportunity to ensure that we’re maintaining the health and safety of our students as the highest priority while planning for a meaningful school year.”
Since mid-April, Wake has temporarily suspended the use of the year-round calendar, in which students get periodic short breaks during the school year. Those students are using the traditional calendar to close out the school year.
Uncertainty about when schools will reopen
All of North Carolina’s public schools are closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no certainty about when they’ll reopen.
Wake County school board chairman Keith Sutton announced Friday the plan to create a community working group to help the district in reopening and operating schools next school year.
A state task force is already working on recommendations for how to reopen schools. Some ideas being reviewed include having students come to school on alternate days, daily screening before letting people on campus and requiring desks to be 6 feet apart.
State lawmakers are also requiring school districts to include five days of remote learning into their 2020-21 school calendars.
Moore said the revised Wake calendars will be based on the guidance from state health officials and the new calendar law.
“The calendars must also be flexible enough to accommodate future health emergencies given the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months,” Moore added. “We understand that parents and students are anxious to receive these details, and once again we are grateful for their patience as we work through the changes created by this pandemic.”
No decision on band camp, summer activities
Moore said Wake is also waiting for state guidance on what to do with summer activities such as athletics and band camp. She asked for patience from families.
Schools have switched to using remote learning during the closure. Wake is asking parents to complete by May 20 an online survey about how remote learning is going. Wake has received 14,000 responses so far.
Moore urged students to stay focused through the end of the school year.
“The more students can stay engaged now, the easier it will be to transition back to classroom instruction,” Moore said. “Plus because we know that remote learning will be a key part of our next school year, developing good remote learning habits will benefit students and their families now and moving forward.”
