Wake looks at virtual schooling for students who don’t feel safe returning to campus
The Wake County school system may offer a virtual school option this fall for students and teachers who don’t feel comfortable returning to campus after the coronavirus pandemic.
School districts and charter schools across North Carolina are working on plans for how to reopen schools after having been closed since mid-March to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wake County school leaders said Friday they’re hearing from families and school employees who say they’re not ready to return in August.
“As a district, we have an obligation to explore an option that does include virtual learning for either families or virtual positioning for staff who might be in a high-risk category, who might have other areas of concern that they are considering in terms of not being ready to return to our school,” Wake Superintendent Cathy Moore said in a news conference Friday. “So our staff is working very hard to see how we can stand that up as an option for our families.”
This week, state health and education leaders released guidance on how to handle school reopening. This includes a recommendation to offer options for students and staff in high-risk populations who don’t feel comfortable going back to school.
On Monday, the state Department of Health and Human Services released health guidance for reopening schools. On Thursday, the State Board of Education adopted the state Department of Public Instruction’s strategies for using the health guidance.
Wake working on school reopening plans
School districts and charter schools are being asked to develop three reopening plans, ranging from using minimal to moderate social distancing to only offering online learning.
Gov. Roy Cooper will decide by July 1 which plan level should be used by schools. School districts will be able to use a more restrictive plan but not a less restrictive one.
Moore said Wake is working now on the reopening plans and will release details shortly after Cooper makes his announcement. To help, Moore asked Wake families to take part in an online conversation that runs through June 13 at www.wcpss.net/thoughtexchange.
The school board will discuss the public comments at a Monday work session.
“Next year will not be normal,” Moore said. “We should not try and convince ourselves otherwise. But throughout this crisis we have proven that our employees and families can be innovative and nimble as needed. That will serve us well in the months ahead.”
If statewide COVID-19 metrics stabilize and improve, schools would reopen under Plan A with “minimal social distancing” and all students would be on campus at the same time. Social distancing would only be required where individuals may congregate, such as hallways, reception areas, cafeterias, restrooms and lockers.
Schools would be required to do daily symptom screening and temperature checks of all students, staff and visitors who enter schools and buses.
Staggered school schedules would be difficult
If the COVID-19 metrics don’t improve, more stringent requirements with “moderate social distancing” would be used in Plan B. Schools and buses would be required to operate at 50% capacity and students maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
DPI is suggesting strategies such as having students go to school on alternating days or alternating weeks or having students spend half the school day on campus and the other half learning from home.
Moore said Plan B will be challenging for the district, particularly when it comes to operating school buses. But she said it will also impact the families of the 161,000 students.
“A 50% capacity is very difficult and will cause some changes in our community if some of our students are in the building and some are not,” Moore said. “That will definitely have an impact with families and their work schedules.
“We are very cognizant of that and yet we know we have to be responsive of what’s being asked of us.”
If the COVID-19 metrics significantly worsen, public schools would operate under Plan C, where only remote learning is used.
DHHS is strongly recommending but not requiring that cloth face coverings be worn in school. Some teachers and parents are upset and say they will not return unless face masks are mandatory.
Moore said no decision has been made yet about requiring face masks.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that there are some students and staff for whom face coverings are problematic and so we want to make sure that whatever we put in place maintains health and safety, promotes that but also takes a look at the needs of the folks that are in our buildings,” Moore said.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
