CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina State Board of Education is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss how schools will open across the state this fall.
The new school year is only about a month away and there's still no official guidance on what schools will do, although Gov. Roy Cooper said getting students back in the classroom is his "number on priority." The latest COVID-19 case numbers have districts wondering if they should open up for in-person instruction or continue remote learning as they did last school year when the pandemic closed schools.
President Donald Trump said this week his administration will put pressure on governors to get kids back in school.
"Now it's time to be open, it's time to stay open, and we will put out the fires as they come up, but we have to open our schools. It's so important to open our schools," Trump said.
So far, three reopening scenarios have been discussed publicly, including a return to full in-person learning, full remote learning and a mixing of the two by limiting the number of students in schools each day.
Now, parents are looking for answers. Many parents are concerned about sending their kids back to school, while others say more remote learning would disturb their working schedules. The American Academy of Pediatrics came out last month in support of sending students to school, citing multiple benefits for young children.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said the data is promising for kids going back to school.
"The emerging scientific evidence suggests that going to school is less of a risk as we think about the potential spread of COVID-19," Dr. Cohen said.
Schools will be required to accommodate students with special health needs and create a process for students and staff to self-identify as being high risk. They will also need to have a plan to address requests for alternative learning arrangements. The state board will also suggest schools to allow families who aren't comfortable with going back to have the option to continue remote learning.
The state board will also review studies out of China, Singapore and Hong Kong that suggested closing schools did not help control the spread of coronavirus.