NC schools announce last-minute decision to close Friday due to teacher protest
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Multiple school districts announced May 1 as a teacher workday and closed schools.
- At least 12 districts canceled classes because leave requests exceeded available subs.
- Pitt County reported 500 staff absences and 200 unfilled substitute positions for Friday.
Families across North Carolina are getting last-minute messages that schools will be closed on Friday due to teachers attending the mass protest in downtown Raleigh.
School districts from Pitt County on the coast to Gaston County near Charlotte announced Monday that they’re making May 1 an optional teacher workday. Now families are having to make last-minute childcare arrangements for Friday.
“We recognize that a schedule change can present challenges for families,” Alamance-Burlington Schools said in a message Monday announcing Friday’s school closure. “Thank you for your flexibility as we balance supporting our staff and student safety.”
The North Carolina Association of Educators has been encouraging school employees across the state to take off from work on May 1 to protest in downtown Raleigh. Thousands of people are expected to march on the Legislative Building on Friday to demand more funding for public education. Two House Democrats said they would attend the march, but there will likely be very few other lawmakers around as voting sessions and committee meetings are rarely held on Fridays.
The leave requests caused Alamance-Burlington, Gaston County, Pitt County and Thomasville to announce Monday that they won’t hold classes on Friday At least 12 school districts have canceled May 1 classes due to the NCAE protest.
Could more schools close Friday?
The number of last-minute closures could rise in the final days leading to the march as more employees submit leave requests.
Schools said the leave requests exceeded the number of substitute teachers and central office staff who were available to fill in on Friday. For instance, Pitt County said it had 500 staff absences and 200 unfilled substitute positions for Friday.
“The volume of absences exceeds our planned capacity for additional coverage, raising concerns about our ability to provide consistent, comprehensive supervision for students throughout the school day,” Pitt County said in a Facebook post Monday.
