Which families opt for virtual school? Who’ll ride the bus? Wake hopes to know soon.
Wake County school leaders say they need to know soon how many students will ride the bus or opt to attend an online-only school program so they can plan for the new school year.
Wake County parents have until 5 p.m. Monday to decide whether to decline bus service. The link is https://www.wcpss.net/declinebus.
For the new Wake Virtual Academy program, the application period opened Friday morning and will run through July 20. The academy will serve students who don’t feel comfortable returning for in-person instruction. More information, including a link to the application, can be found at www.wcpss.net/Virtual-Academy.
“Once we know the number of students who wish to attend the academy, we can better determine class sizes, schedules and childcare needs for those who will be attending our schools in-person,” Wake County school board chairman Keith Sutton said at a news conference Friday.
Wake is planning on reopening schools with one-third capacity because of expected state capacity limits due to the coronavirus pandemic.. Students will rotate between one week of in-person classes and two weeks of remote instruction.
Most Wake County schools will reopen Aug. 17. Superintendent Cathy Moore said the district will likely notify families in early August on what rotation they’ll be on. Wake says it will keep siblings on the same rotation.
All North Carolina public schools have been closed for in-person instruction since mid-March to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The state is requiring schools to develop three reopening plans: minimal social distancing, moderate social distancing and remote learning only. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that he will make a decision next week on which statewide plan to use.
Wake to provide childcare for teachers
Wake’s rotational system will cause childcare issues for families.
Moore said that the district is looking at where it can set up childcare programs in schools to serve school employees.
“Without childcare, the teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and other employees will be unable to keep our schools running,” Moore said. “This is why creating a childcare option for all employee — and parents who can not be at home — has become a top priority.”
Sutton said that the district is working with the YMCA of the Triangle, municipal recreation programs and other childcare providers to serve families of non-district employees.
Sutton said they’re also working on getting corporate support to help cover childcare costs.
“It is critical that we find a way to offer childcare for as little as possible to those who need it most,” Sutton said. “We do not however expect to provide free care to everyone.”
The childcare concerns are a reason why districts like Durham Public Schools plan on reopening with elementary and middle school students going to school every day. But that means high school students will only get remote instruction.
Changing the way students are taught
The new rotational system will change how teachers handle education of students. Moore said that flexibility is needed with decisions made at individual schools on how to handle classes.
Moore said that teachers may wind up working together to split the duties for in-person and remote instruction.
“It’s going to be important for the teachers to work together at the building level to see how they want to set their work up,” Moore said. “I think this is a case where we now have a sense or ‘our students’ as opposed to ‘my students.’”
Wake needs to know information about bus riders because expected state capacity limits will restrict them to one student per seat.
“While bus routes and ridership have always played a key role in school schedules, it is hard to understate how important they are during this pandemic,” Sutton said.
Sutton said students will be required to wear face coverings and to answer three simple questions about their symptoms before they’re allowed to board. Parents can also fill out a form answering those questions.
Once at schools, students and school employees will be required to pass both a daily symptom check and temperature check before being allowed on campus.
Face coverings will be required for school employees and middle school and high school students, with some exceptions. Elementary students are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings but are not required, except when they’re in a bus.
Details sought on Virtual Academy
Much of the district’s planning hinges on as many students as possible attending the Virtual Academy to help it meet the school capacity limits.
There could be considerable interest among Wake’s 161,907 students. In a district survey, 22% of parents said they want a fully online school model this fall.
Moore said that there will be no cap on the number of students who can attend the academy. The enrollment numbers will help Wake determine which teachers will work at the academy as well as at other schools.
Wake is requiring families to commit to attending the academy for at least the fall semester. But some parents have complained about not having enough details on how the online program will work.
Moore said the district is working to provide more details. Wake also plans to email families on Friday about the program.
“We are building this academy based on what our families and students have asked for,” Moore said. “I think it’s important that they do continue to communicate with us so that we can be responsive and provide the answers that they need and the detail that they need.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 11:38 AM.
