CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's back-to-school for students across Union County who chose the hybrid model this school year.
Car riders and bus riders were dropped off for their first day, asked questions regarding COVID-19, got their temperature checked and proceeded on their way to class.
The Union County Public School District thoroughly explained on social media the in-person learning plan they created to ensure the safety of teachers, staff and students amid the pandemic.
With that being said, the district has left the choice up to parents, either the hybrid model with partial learning in-person and partial at home or 100% virtual school.
Here at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, the kids that are returning hybrid style followed signs on the ground that helped them maintain their social distancing. Some of the other safety precautions include, but are not limited to, frequent hand sanitizing, scheduled hand-washing breaks, separated desks, and constant mask-wearing except for during recess.
WCNC Charlotte was at the school during this morning’s drop off and spoke with a mom who was very excited to return to some normalcy. WCNC Charlotte’s Rachel Lundberg asked how she was feeling as she drove away with no kids in the backseat, and the mom of a 3rd and 4th grader said, “Oh, I am so excited! This is our first time here. My girls are excited and I feel great with all the precautions.”
Not everyone feels that way. On Sunday, the eve of the first day back, a group of Union County teachers and staff held a drive to stay alive rally pushing for school officials to pump the brakes on their in-person plan.
“We just hope to advocate for the safety of our students, that's really it,” Brittany Gendron, a teacher in the county said. “We are concerned for ourselves, but more than that, our duty is always to keep our children safe.” The protesters said the county rushed their re-opening plan without teacher input, but that rally didn’t appear to upend said plans today.