CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted Tuesday to allow CMS to contract with community-based organizations committed to establishing remote learning facilities for students.
The agreement follows emergency rules adopted by the North Carolina Child Care Commission Aug. 13 permitting organizations unlicensed as childcare providers to operate as remote learning facilities.
"This is a huge need across our county and our communities," said Sean Strain, a CMS School Board Member.
The emergency rules specify that community organizations may use their facilities to provide CMS students a safe place with adult supervision and internet connectivity to access all remote learning provided by CMS.
The sites will be facilities provided by the organizations. The district’s school buildings remain closed to students.
Approved organizations will be responsible for all employee background checks, insurance, appropriate staff-to-student ratios and meeting all requirements set forth by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Safety Services, CMS reports.
Organizations will also be responsible for fire and health inspections and naming CMS as an additional insured party on liability insurance. The rules require that CMS be indemnified against any incident at the remote learning facility.
The district will establish an online application by Aug. 31 for interested organizations.
"We want to work with the community to explore every channel that could help our students continue learning during pandemic conditions," said Superintendent Earnest Winston. "These organizations can help students by providing safe, productive learning environments."
School board members wanted to make sure parents knew that with this new plan to create remote learning centers, didn't mean the district was prolonging in-person classroom instruction on campuses.
"The need for childcare is going to remain no matter if we are in a Plan B or a Plan C," said School Board Member Margaret Marshall.
CMS is still having a difficult time providing wifi hotspots to all students. The remote learning centers would expand access to no charge to parents.
"This is a freeway for remote learning, and we have a freeway for reopening our schools," said school board member Rhonda Cheek.
The district will also roll out five locations that will have access to exterior wifi for students during the school day. Wifi access can be reached in the parking lots or designated areas Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We are in unchartered waters and it takes imagination to find solutions," said School Board Chairperson Elyse Dashew.
The locations are:
- Hidden Valley Elementary School
- Renaissance West STEAM Academy
- Marie G. Davis Middle School
- University Park Creative Arts School
- Starmount Academy of Excellence
The district will also have a wifi-equipped bus at Bloomberg Acres (rental office area) and Central Avenue by the Latin America Coalition.
Users will be able to remain in their vehicles or follow NCDHHS safety and health guidelines.