Governor Cooper has delayed his planned announcement about the type of reopening schools will have this fall. Governor Cooper said a decision about reopening would likely occur in a couple of weeks. He said opening schools is a priority and stated the goal is to start school with face-to-face learning. Dr. Cohen referenced a recommendation from The American Academy of Pediatrics’ to open schools for in-person instruction. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”
Governor Cooper encouraged school districts to continue to work on re-entry plans. The possible plan types are:
- Plan A is minimal social distancing in all areas of the school building, health assessments before students begin their school day, and enhanced cleaning protocols, especially of shared surfaces.
- Plan B is moderate social distancing with no more than 50% capacity in buildings and school buses. Due to the capacity restriction, this plan would include both physical classroom and remote instruction for students.
- Plan C is a remote and/or virtual connection for learning.
Year-round schools scheduled to start in July are directed to do so remotely (Plan C).
“I am hopeful we will have an announcement in a couple weeks that allows us to open face-to-face on Plan A,” said Superintendent, Dr. Bill Nolte. “Plan A provides the best possible learning opportunity for students. It also gives us some local flexibility to be more restrictive if conditions worsen locally. I really hope this extension results in an announcement that allows us to reopen schools as normal as possible.”
Contact: Dr. Bill Nolte, Superintendent