CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district are set to set start the new school year on August 17, but what that return to school will look like is still undecided.
The district is now considering three options — in-person learning, virtual learning, or a mix between the two.
Deanna Peck is both a parent and a teacher and she says she’s torn about what option may be best.
“As a parent I want my daughter to be safe and healthy, “Peck said. “But I’m afraid if I can’t bond with my students, if I can’t interact with them and get to know them I won’t be as connected and help them achieve their goals for the school year.”
In an hours-long virtual meeting Wednesday night, the CMS Board of Education debated and discussed each of the different options to return to school.
Some of the concerns raised included how to monitor students for symptoms, enforcing face masks for younger elementary students, and how to properly social distance in the classrooms and on the school bus.
All these factors and more North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper must consider before making his final decision.
“This is my #1 priority to make sure we get students physically back in our schools and I want to make sure we get that right,” Gov. Cooper said.
Other parents say they are also concerned about how the school reopening could impact their family dynamic.
“We have an elderly parent in the home and obviously we’re concerned about her health," parent Starla Gray said. “Then if the kids return to school that’s going to make our efforts intense tenfold to try to keep her healthy and safe.”
There’s no exact timeline when Gov. Cooper will make his final decision about schools reopening. The CMS board says it is waiting on that official announcement before they move forward.