Wake school board chair: No plans yet to scrap in-person classes amid surging pandemic
Although some school districts in central North Carolina are reverting to online-only classes as coronavirus cases spike in the state, the Wake County Public School System isn't yet backing off plans for in-person classes for elementary, middle and high school students in the upcoming semester.
School board Chairman Keith Sutton said Wednesday that district administrators and board members are keeping a close eye on the data, including how many cases are reported in local schools. Since schools began reopening six weeks ago, 219 infections have been reported – numbers have increased each week – and there have been two possible cases of secondary transmission.
"We are achieving our goal of minimizing or mitigating spread throughout the building when there is a positive case," Sutton said. "What we’re seeing is that we are, so far, keeping our fingers crossed, able to keep teachers and students and faculty safe in our buildings.”
Administrators said there has been very little spread within the school buildings, but he said parents and teachers are still worried about the rising cases in the community.
"I think it would be nice for him to get back to school, but what is he going to bring home to us?" said Terry Simpson, the mother of a high school student. "I think, with the holidays and everyone traveling, it’s just going to get worse again in the beginning of [the semester in] January.”
"I would be super-nervous with public schools bringing kids back. However, I also understand that there is a need for children to be in school to get social interaction and to receive the resources that they get," said Jill Heffinger, the mother of a small child not yet in school.
According to Tuesday's update to North Carolina's pandemic county alert system, Wake County is in the "orange" zone – the middle tier in the color-coded map – with substantial viral spread. The county has reported more than 470 infections per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, has a positive test rate of 6.2 percent and is seeing moderate impact on local hospitals.
Neighboring Johnston County is in the "red" zone, with critical viral spread. The school board there voted Tuesday night to return all students to remote learning until at least Jan. 15.
Granville County Schools will also switch to remote learning on Dec. 16, and board members will decide in mid-January if it is safe to bring students back to campus. Hoke County students will revert to virtual learning starting Thursday and will learn remotely through at least Jan. 8. The Harnett County School District will halt full-time in-person classes for elementary school students on Monday, returning to a mix of classroom and online instruction.
Granville County is in the orange zone, while Hoke and Harnett counties are in the red zone.
Four other school systems – Cumberland County Schools, Durham Public Schools, the Orange County School District and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools – previously decided to stay remote until January.
"We are watching, and we obviously see what other districts are doing, and it does cause you to rethink or think about your plans and what we are doing as our neighbors make those decisions," Sutton said.
If the trend lines change in the coming weeks, he said, the district's decision about in-person classes could change.
“We are doing the best we can given the conditions," he said. "We understand folks are concerned. We are encouraged by the fact that a vaccine is around the corner, so we are just going to keep doing what we are doing and make sure we can keep students and teachers safe.”
Wednesday was the deadline for parents to enroll elementary school students in the Wake County Public School System's Virtual Academy, which would keep them learning remotely and out of the classroom during the spring semester. The sign-up period for middle and high school students has already passed.
