Wake could bring students back for daily in-person classes. Here’s what’s on the table.
Updated Sept. 16
The Wake County school system is now considering different options for returning to face-to-face classes, including having every student not enrolled in the Virtual Academy come in daily for classes.
The Wake County school board previously approved a reopening plan that would split students into three groups with a rotation of one week of in-person classes followed by two weeks of online classes.
But with the majority of students attending the new Virtual Academy program, administrators said Tuesday it might be possible to avoid rotating the remaining students and to allow some students on campus daily.
The board will meet next week to discuss whether to change the reopening plan. The looming decision comes as a growing number of parents are lobbying schools to reopen, accounting for the majority of the 139 public comments submitted to Tuesday’s board meeting.
“I want to acknowledge how difficult this is for our students,” said school board chairman Keith Sutton. “We know that this is challenging and acknowledge it has difficulty for parents, particularly because you have to do work and other things.”
No specific return date was approved Tuesday, but Wake’s target date is Oct. 26 for traditional-calendar students. Students at modified-calendar students and specific groups of students could return sooner.
The board will have to decide on the return date, what rotation for schools to use and what grade levels will have in-person classes.
Wake may switch to rotation
Wake might switch to a rotation of one week of in-person classes followed by a week of remote learning. Another option has no rotation with daily in-person classes.
Superintendent Cathy Moore said Wake’s ability to change rotations will depend on how many students ride the bus and if they can maintain social distancing on campus. Wake will survey families on how many still plan to use school buses.
The state is limiting school bus capacity due to COVID-19 concerns.
The prior plan had all 160,000 students getting a mix of some in-person and some online classes. That could change, depending on the four options presented Tuesday:
▪ Elementary school students, Pre-K students and all students in special-education regional programs would get in-person instruction. Middle school and high school students would only get remote learning.
▪ Students in special-ed regional programs, PreK-2 and sixth and ninth grades would have in-person classes. Grades 3-5, 7-8, 10-12 would have only online courses.
▪ Students in special-ed regional programs and PreK-2 would have in-person classes. Grades 3-12 would have only online courses.
▪ No students, aside from those in Virtual Academy, would only have remote learning.
How often students get in-person instruction under any of those four options would depend on what rotation, if any, is used.
Schools delay in-person classes
Gov. Roy Cooper allowed schools to reopen in August under social-distancing rules that limit how many students can ride buses and be on campus. Students and school employees also have to wear face coverings and pass daily temperature checks and health screenings before they’re allowed on campus.
The majority of North Carolina school districts opted to begin the school year with only virtual instruction. But more districts are starting to resume in-person classes or have released plans for how they’ll decide when to bring students back.
Last week, the neighboring Johnston County school board voted to bring back K-12 special-education students in self-contained classes and Pre-K students on Sept. 28. Elementary students will begin returning in October.
Metrics for school reopening
Wake County students have used remote learning since mid-March, when schools were initially closed for face-to-face classes to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. The use of remote instruction has been frustrating for some families.
Two local pediatricians told the board on Tuesday that while many students are doing well in remote learning, others are struggling not being in school. The doctors talked about students having elevated stress, leading to headaches, stomach aches, obesity and in some cases attempted suicide.
“A lot of kids are having a really hard time,” said Dr. Theresa Flynn. “A lot of children who were struggling before this with anxiety, with depression, are having a much harder time without that peer support.”
School administrators explained how the district will decide the return date. Wake will use metrics such as the rate of positive COVID-19 cases and supporting data such as:
▪ Cases with COVID-like symptoms.
▪ Positive COVID-19 cases confirmed each day by a lab.
▪ The percentage of tests that were positive out of all tests administered.
▪ The hospitalizations of parents with COVID-19.
Dr. Danny Benjamin of the ABC Science Collaborative told the board there will be more COVID-19 cases, regardless of whether schools reopen. Wake signed an agreement with the Collaborative to advise the district on reopening.
“The key question is whether the school district can act together to put together a detailed plan and adhere to the plan such that there’s no greater risk to children from COVID-19 should schools reopen, there’s no greater risk to teachers should schools reopen,” Benjamin said.
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 5:41 PM.
