CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported that CMS would expand virtual learning to more students. The updated version is below.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced it will continue virtual instruction for elementary and middle school students in the 2022-23 school year.
School leaders voted to include grades four through eight at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Virtual High School next year, with virtual instruction phasing out for grades four and five over the next two years. Virtual instruction will be offered in grades six through 12 in 2024-25 and subsequent years.
On June 30, 2022, the school codes for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Virtual Elementary and Middle Schools will be closed, per North Carolina Session law 2021-130. To continue offering virtual instruction for the families in fourth through eighth grades, Superintendent Earnest Winston recommended the existing virtual high school be expanded to include those additional grades.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released a report in March that showed students who spent more days physically in the classroom performed closer to expectations than those who spent more days in a virtual setting.
They say growth dropped for students of color, students who lacked internet access and economically disadvantaged students, and the report revealed the need to close test score gaps.
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