RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate has failed to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of Republican legislation that would have directed K-12 school districts to offer in-person instruction to all students in about two weeks.
The override would have had to be successful in both chambers for the measure to become law. The Senate's vote Monday night fell just short of the three-fifths majority needed to advance the question to the House.
Only one of three Senate Democrats who voted previously for the bill last month voted to override.
Members of the North Carolina Association of Educations were in support of Gov. Cooper's veto.
"SB 37 could lead to some risky decisions for our students and educators while we are still dealing with this deadly pandemic," Tamika Walter Kelly, NCAE President said.
Some of the educators' biggest concerns were enforcing CDC guidance for social distancing and adequate access to vaccines.
“I was fortunate to be able to find a vaccine, but our school district has not had any mass vaccination clinics like many other counties have held for their school staff," Cabarrus County teacher Meredith Newman said.
GOP lawmakers said the bill was needed because students have fallen behind in academics since schools shifted to virtual classes in the pandemic.
“We know that virtual learning is tantamount to no education," Senator Phil Berger said.
Test results from the state show more than half of North Carolina high school students failed their end-of-course exams and more than 70% of third-graders are not reading proficiently.
Cooper released a statement Monday about his decision to veto Senate Bill 37, saying he believes students should be in classrooms but wants to find a way to do it safely. Students' mental health while learning outside of school is another concern.
“We don’t need a one-size-fits-all shut down of schools across the state," Sen. Berger said. "We need to allow local systems to make decisions about what’s best for the students.”
“The question on SB 37 that I vetoed is not whether our children should be in the classroom in person. They absolutely should. The question is whether we do it safely,” Cooper said.