UNION COUNTY, N.C. – Union County Schools announced Friday that all schools in the district will be closed Wednesday, May 16 as teachers will join marches in Raleigh.
Union County Schools officials said administrators received more than 1,000 requests from teachers to take leave from school on May 16. Officials said the number of absences by teachers would create safety and security concerns for schools throughout the district. May 16 will be considered an optional teacher workday for staff members and students will not be required to make up the day.
According to school officials, all end-of-grade, end-of-year and AP testing for May 16 will be rescheduled. Marvin Ridge High School will administer International Baccalaureate exams as planned.
On Tuesday, Cabarrus County Schools and Iredell-Statesville Schools announced they would make May 16 an optional teacher workday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools made the same decision earlier this month.
The rally is a call to increase teacher pay, invest in public education, lower staff ratios and decrease class sizes.
“Yes, it’s about pay, and it’s about supplies, but it’s about our voice being heard and being respected and being supported,” said third grade literacy teacher Laura Milavec.
“Our state has some great work to do in terms of supporting our teachers, and it’s important to hear from the boots on the ground, the very people who are doing the hard work,” said Courtlyn Reeves, principal at Greenway Park Elementary School.
The National Education Association ranks North Carolina 39th for teacher pay in 2017 — coming in at an average of $49,970.
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said teachers will receive an average raise of $4,412 by 2019.
List of school districts closed Wednesday, May 16
Cabarrus County Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Hickory Public Schools
Iredell-Statesville Schools
Kannapolis City Schools
Mooresville Graded School District
Rowan-Salisbury Schools
Union County Public Schools