Bill requiring NC schools to reopen during pandemic on fast track

The state Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a measure that would force school districts across North Carolina to reopen their doors to students who want the option of in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Posted 11:05 p.m. Feb 9, 2021 — Updated 11:05 p.m. Feb 9, 2021

Laura Leslie

, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

RALEIGH, N.C. — The state Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a measure that would force school districts across North Carolina to reopen their doors to students who want the option of in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

With the 29-15 vote – two Democrats joined Senate Republicans in supporting the measure – Senate Bill 37 now heads to the House. It's scheduled to go through two committees on Wednesday before a Thursday floor vote, meaning it could be on Gov. Roy Cooper's desk by the end of the week.

Cooper has expressed reservations about the bill, saying decisions about reopening should be left up to local school boards. Still, he urged districts last week to get more students in classrooms.

Several hurdles remain before more NC students can return to class

The bill would give school districts two weeks to plan before getting students back into classrooms safely, at least part-time. It also would require the option of full-time, in-person learning for all special-needs students and those with IEPs, or an Individualized Education Program.

Schools would have to follow all safety guidelines, including 6 feet of distancing for students in middle schools and high schools.

The Wake County Public School System recently surveyed principals on whether they could keep students 6 feet apart if students attended school daily or on a rotating basis.

For middle schools, 85 percent said they could only if students attended school in 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 6 feet of distance if students attended in rotation. None said they could do it if students attended daily.

Experts at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have said schools can reopen safely if distance and other safety protocols, including masks, are followed.

But some teachers have pushed back against the reopening bill, arguing that they should be vaccinated first to lower the risk to themselves and their families.

Dr. Katie Jordan, a pediatrician with UNC Health, said teachers have a legitimate concern.

"I think one study that looked at teachers and staff in schools said maybe about 50 percent are at higher risk for complications from COVID," Jordan said.

Research done in North Carolina schools last fall found no cases of students giving the virus to teachers. But she noted that those studies were done in schools using a mix of in-person and online classes and plenty of distancing – not schools operating at full capacity.

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