CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Students and teachers in North Carolina will start a new school year 1 week from Monday. Some will be heading into the actual school building while others will learn online from home.
Back to school plans really depend on what county the school is in. Governor Cooper gave districts the option to do Plan B, a mix of in person and online learning, or Plan C, all online learning. The largest district in our area, CMS, originally chose Plan B plus remote, before reversing course and switching to all online learning to start the school year. But outside of Mecklenburg County, a handful of districts are bringing kids back for some in person learning.
Regardless, this year comes with a learning curve for everyone.
North Carolina heads back to school next Monday but there's growing concern and questions about the role kids could play in spreading coronavirus. A new American Academy of Pediatrics report found at least 97,000 kids tested positive in the last 2 weeks of July.
CMS students will stay home for online learning. But several counties, including Gaston and Union, will be going back under Plan B, despite teacher's protests.
“It’s obvious that our board is adamant that we're going to open under Plan B and even though that is scary, we're professionals, we're educators. We're always going to do what we can to help our students and to help each other,” said Pam Miller, the president of the Gaston County chapter of NCAE.
Classrooms will be disinfected regularly, desks will be spread far apart and kids and teachers are required to wear masks.
“We want it to be safe for our students and their families and our staff,” said Lisa O’Connor, a teacher in Union County.
Atrium Health is partnering with Charlotte Country Day School to provide services like managing when a student or teacher is exposed or providing testing should it be needed. Officials say the solutions they come up with will benefit all schools in our area.
RELATED: List: School reopening plans