NC Gov. Cooper signs school reopening bill. Here’s what’s in it.
After a year without being in a classroom, thousands of North Carolina students who have been in remote-only learning will now be able to get in-person instruction.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law Thursday a bill that will mean every K-12 traditional public school student in the state has the option of in-person learning, starting in three weeks or less.
Cooper, a Democrat, and the Republican-led legislature had been at odds about how and when the state’s 1.4 million K-12 public school students should get back to school. But on Wednesday, at their first in-person press conference since the coronavirus pandemic arrived in the state a year ago, North Carolina’s most powerful politicians announced a deal. Cooper, along with Republican and Democratic leadership from both the Senate and House, lauded the compromise on the bill.
Later that day, the Senate passed the bill unanimously.
Some lawmakers are also parents of public schools students. Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri, of Raleigh, is a Wake County parent. The Wake County school board voted earlier this week to send fourth and fifth graders back to school full time. Chaudhuri said when he told his 9-year-old son about the news over dinner, his son said “this is the best day of his life.”
Chaudhuri said it reflects the happiness of the sentiment they are seeing in children about going back to school.
On Thursday morning, the House passed the bill 119-0. House Speaker Tim Moore, a Kings Mountain Republican, again lauded lawmakers for working together.
House Democratic leader Robert Reives, of Chatham County, called the bipartisan agreement a “true compromise” to get students back safely in school and “begin the process of healing from this pandemic.”
“We’re teaching each other how work ought to be done,” Reives said.
When Cooper signed the bill on Thursday evening, he said in a statement:
“Getting students back into the classroom safely is a shared priority, and this agreement will move more students to in-person instruction while retaining the ability to respond to local emergencies,” he said.
Here’s what it means for teachers, parents and students:
Is there a mask requirement?
Yes. All teachers, staff and students — everyone in school buildings —are required to wear masks in school and on school buses. The statewide mask mandate is still in effect.
What does this mean for elementary schools?
Elementary schools will be required to open under Plan A, which has minimal social distancing but other safety precautions. Plan A is daily, full-time, in-person learning.
School districts that have been sending students to elementary schools on hybrid plans, such as two days a week of in-person classes or every other week, will now have to switch to daily in-person classes. The bill requires the change to happen by 21 days after it becomes law but they can switch sooner.
What about asynchronous days or cleaning time?
Some schools have a weekly cleaning day, usually on Wednesdays, when no in-person instruction happens so that the buildings can get a deep cleaning. On those days, schools often don’t schedule any live online instruction.
Some schools also provide asynchronous learning days on a regular basis as a way to help give teachers more planning time. On those days, no in-person instruction happens and no live online instruction occurs. Teachers typically give students work to do on their own at home.
Legislative staff say Plan A doesn’t require a specific number of days a week for in-person classes so asynchronous days and cleaning days can still happen.
Can students stay virtual?
Yes. All students will still be allowed to have a virtual learning option. But school districts may need to change how they offer the virtual instruction to accommodate the increased number of students who will receive in-person instruction.
What does this mean for middle and high schools?
The law will allow middle and high schools to be open under Plan A. Previously, those schools could only use Plan B, which requires 6 feet of social distancing and is often a hybrid model that is a mix of in-person and online learning.
Some school districts have asked for the Plan A option for all grade levels so they can provide daily in-person classes for older students.
Cooper had previously vetoed legislation allowing middle schools and high schools to go to Plan A because he said it wasn’t safe to have the lower social distancing requirements for preteens and teens. The legislation gives him the ability to restrict districts from going to Plan A if he feels that is needed.
What does this mean for special-education students?
The law requires school districts to offer Plan A to students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan. This includes districts which only plan to offer Plan B for middle schools and high schools.
Families of special-education students have been among the most vocal in complaining that not getting daily in-person instruction has had a negative impact.
Is there funding to help do all this?
Yes, a COVID-19 relief bill passed earlier this year and signed into law by Cooper allocated $1.6 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to help with schools reopening. More schools funding, including for a summer learning program, is in the latest bill waiting to be signed by the governor. Plus there’s another $500,000 in this bill for Plan A schools to partner with the ABC Science Collaborative.
Why are some teachers worried?
The law means schools don’t have to follow the 6 feet of social distancing recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where there’s high community spread of COVID-19.
The North Carolina Association of Educators says the law “will needlessly encourage school boards to push students, educators, and staff into school buildings that do not comply with CDC guidance during a pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of 11,000 North Carolinians.”
The ABC Science Collaborative, which was formed by Duke University to advise on school reopening issues, says 3 feet of social distancing is safe in schools if proper safety measures are taken such as requiring face masks.
What about charter schools?
Charter schools are not covered by the law and can choose to stay with remote learning and not provide daily in-person classes to elementary students. Republican lawmakers say it’s unnecessary to include the publicly funded charter schools because families can leave to attend a traditional public school.
What about private schools?
Private schools are not covered by the law. Many private schools have been offering daily in-person instruction since the start of the school year. Private schools are also required to have students and staff wear face masks on campus.
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This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 10:23 AM.