CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over 50,000 children have been registered for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Full Remote Academy learning option in 2020, the district said Monday.
According to CMS, 52,552 kids are registered for full virtual learning. On Sunday, over 9,000 parents were part of a virtual Q&A with district leaders on the final day of registration for remote learning, which is available for parents who aren't comfortable sending their kids back to school next month.
With the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the Carolinas, parents and teachers alike are worried about how to safely reopen schools.
RELATED: As educators face fears for their health when returning to class, could there be a teacher shortage?
Sunday afternoon, over 9,000 people tuned in to a Q&A session on virtual learning for the fall as some parents in the district weighed their options.
The default option for CMS schools involves students going back to school in person for two weeks before going fully online. The other option that parents can choose for their children is to go fully remote, opting out of the in-person portion.
Notably, athletics and extracurriculars are still expected to host in-person events.
While the options are somewhat similar, there are differences. For example, if a student follows the "Plan B" plan that CMS is currently on, those students will continue following whatever option the school board recommends.
This means if coronavirus cases get better, CMS students could move to more in-person options while maintaining social distancing. But if your student is enrolled in the virtual academy, they will stay virtual.
"This is so if you're concerned about the safety of children, they can continue with their education and be given the same opportunities and not have to come back to a brick and mortar building," said Frank Barnes, chief accountability and equity officer for CMS.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to CMS on Sunday for an updated look at the number of registrations for Full Remote Academy but did not hear back.
CMS officials said they will be sending out more details on the upcoming school year in the near future now that the deadline to enroll in Full Remote Academy has passed.