Raleigh, North Carolina – The state Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that would force North Carolina school districts to reopen its doors to students who want the option to learn in person during the coronavirus pandemic.
With 29-15 votes, two Democrats joined Senate Republicans in supporting the measure, Senate Bill 37 is now going to the House. He is scheduled to go through two committees on Wednesday before Thursday’s vote on the floor, meaning he could be at Governor Roy Cooper’s table over the weekend.
Cooper has expressed reservations about the bill, saying decisions on reopening should be left to local school boards. Still, he urged districts last week to get more students into classrooms.
The bill would give school districts two weeks to plan for them before returning students to classrooms safely, at least part-time. It would also require the option of full-time and face-to-face learning for all students with special needs and those who have it. IEP or an individualized educational program.
Schools should follow all safety guidelines, including the 6-meter distance for middle and high school students.
The Wake County Public Schools system recently surveyed principals about whether they could keep students 6 feet away if students attended school daily or on a rotating basis.
For middle schools, 85% said they could only do so if students attended school by rotation. Only 5 percent said they could maintain enough distance if the entire student body attended daily.
For high schools, 93 percent said they could maintain a 6-foot distance if students attended in rotation. No one said they could do it if students attended daily.
Experts from Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have said schools can reopen safely if distance and other safety protocols are followed, including masks.
But some teachers have rejected the reopening bill, arguing that they should first be vaccinated to reduce the risk to them and their families.
Dr. Katie Jordan, a pediatrician at UNC Health, said teachers have a legitimate concern.
“I think a study that looked at teachers and school staff said that maybe about 50% had a higher risk of complications from COVID,” Jordan said.
Research done in North Carolina schools last fall found no cases of students giving the virus to teachers. But he noted that these studies were done in schools through a combination of face-to-face and online classes and a lot of distancing, not schools running at full capacity.