WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell asked districts their guidelines for canceling school in severe weather and found it varies from county to county.



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Raleigh folklore: Taylor Swift has played in Raleigh, but it's her little-known performance at Athens Drive High School that symbolizes how far she's come.

That time a 16-year-old Taylor Swift played at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh

Taylor Swift at Athens Drive High School

As COVID-19 cases start rising in North Carolina, Durham is sending year-round students back to school starting Monday.

<b>DURHAM, N.C.</b> — As COVID-19 cases <a href="https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/video/counties-push-for-vaccinations-before-school-starts-back/19773110/">start rising in North Carolina</a>, Durham is sending year-round students back to school starting Monday.

Can parents expect anything different this year? Will masks be required? Will meals be provided?

<h4>What to expect from the school year</h4>

Year-round students will be returning to five days a week of in-person classes.

The race to vaccinate students comes with plenty of challenges. 

A LOOK AT THE STATE CURVE SHOWS IT IS NOT A ONE-TIME THING. WE HAVE BEEN ON THE UPSWING FOR DAYS. OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, THE AVERAGE DAILY CASE COUNT HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED AT 653. CHILDREN 17 AND UNDER ACCOUNT FOR 20% OF THE NEW COVID CASES OVER THE PAST WEEK. MATT TALHELM IS LIVE  TO EXPLAIN THE EFFORTS TO GET MORE YOUNG PEOPLE VACCINATED BEFORE THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL. >> Reporter: ANYBODY ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE CAN GET ONE IN MOORE SQUARE PARK TOMORROW FROM 11:00 UNTIL 5:30. THESE COUNTIES ARE FOCUSING ON THE 12 TO 17 AGE RANGE TO GET MORE OF THEM VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19. OLIVIA COOK IS GETTING READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL BY PUSHING UP HER SLEEVE FOR THE CHAT. >> I WANTED TO COME HERE BECAUSE OF SCHOOL STARTING SOON SO I WANTED TO BE EXTRA PROTECTED. >> Reporter: THE 13-YEAR-OLD LAYTON MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE ADMITS SHE WAS HESITANT AT FIRST. >> I WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE REACTIONS WERE AND STUFF TO THE VACCINE SO I WANTED OTHER PEOPLE TO GO FIRST BEFORE ME. >> Reporter: SHE GOT THE FIRST DOSE TODAY AT THE CAFETERIA AT SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL AT A CLINIC FOCUSED ON TEENS AND ADOLESCENTS. >> THIS IS A PLACE TEENS AND THEIR PARENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH . >> Reporter: IN JOHNSTON COUNTY, 12 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS MAKE UP 9% OF THE POPULATION BUT 3% OF PEOPLE VACCINATED. STATEWIDE ANALYSIS BITE WRAL DATA TRACKERS  REVEALS 15.7% OF THAT AGE GROUP ARE VACCINATED STATEWIDE, EVEN AS CASES SPIKE. >> PART OF WHAT PROMPTED US TO TALK WITH HER AND MAKE THE DECISION TO GET VACCINATED. >> Reporter: YOUNGER CHILDREN HAVE TO WAIT. >> I WOULD NOT USE THE FACT WE DON'T HAVE A VACCINE IS A REASON NOT TO SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO BE AWARE OF THE DATA. >> Reporter: DR. TONEY MOODY WITH THE DUKE HUMAN VACCINE INSTITUTE, TAKING PART  WITH THE PFIZER VACCINE TRIAL CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 12. HE SAYS IT WILL LIKELY BE EARLY FALL BEFORE A VACCINE IS APPROVED FOR THEM. >> I DO THINK HAVING CHILDREN WHO CAN GET VACCINATED BE VACCINATED IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO PROTECT THE FAMILY AND PROTECT THE CHILD NOT ABLE TO BE VACCINATED YET. >> Reporter: JOHNSTON COUNTY IS PLANNING ANOTHER TEAM AND ADOLESCENT VACCINE CLINIC AT ANOTHER SCHOOL IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. WAKE COUNTY LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLY EVIDENCE TO HAVE VACCINE CLINICS AT THOSE LEADING UP TO THE START OF SCHOOL.

Kevin Kuzminski

Matt Talhelm

Chad Flowers

Counties push for vaccinations before school starts back

Durham Public Schools will resume daily transportation to and from schools. Breakfast will be free for everyone.

Extra-curricular activities and athletic programs will start back up again.

Parents and students want things to look and feel as close to normal as possible when the school year begins, but families are deeply divided over the need for masks. 

149 PEOPLE ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. >>> MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS OUR AREA ARE PLANNING FOR A FULL RETURN OF K-12 STUDENTS IN CLASS THIS FALL. DUKE EXPERTS MET TODAY TO DISCUSS HOW TO DO SO SAFELY. >> WRAL'S AARON THOMAS  IS LIVE OUTSIDE DILLARD DRIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THEIR TAKE AND WHAT PARENTS ARE HOPING TO SEE. AARON? >> Reporter: MANY OF THESE PARENTS AND STUDENTS WANT TO SEE A SCHOOL YEAR THAT FEELS AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE WITH THE STUDENTS MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO CAMPUS IN THE FALL. TODAY WE HEARD FROM DUKE EXPERTS WHO SUPPORT MASK WEARING TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19, SPECIFICALLY THIS DELTA VARIANT THAT IS OUT THERE. PARENTS REMAIN DEEPLY DIVIDED OVER MASKS. SHE IS SPENDING HER SUMMER SPENDING TIME WITH HER SUMMER PITCH IS ALREADY ANXIOUS ABOUT SCHOOL STARTING IN THE FALL. >> I AM NERVOUS ABOUT MY SON GOING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL. MIKE URSINE IS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED. THE STATE STILL REQUIRES FACE MASKS TO BE WORN INSIDE SCHOOLS. >> THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED. THE CDC SAYS IF THEY ARE NOT VACCINATED, WEAR A MASK. >> Reporter: THIS PASTOR HAS A RISING KINDERGARTNER. HE SAYS THE DECISION TO WEAR MASKS IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BE LEFT TO FAMILIES. >> THAT PERSONAL PREFERENCE. I SEEK WHAT IT IS DOING TO OUR CHILDREN. THAT DEMEANOR. THAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS HEALTH. >> Reporter: DUKE PEDIATRICIANS WITH THE ABC SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE MET TODAY TO LOOK AT DATA OVER IN-SCHOOL SUBMISSION OF COVID-19. DUE TO THEIR FINDINGS, NORTH CAROLINA'S SCHOOLS WERE SUCCESSFUL. >> IF OUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 IN SCHOOLS, THERE ARE TWO EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DO THAT. ONE, VACCINATION. TWO, MASKING. >> Reporter: EXPERTS NOTE THE DELTA VARIANT IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE THAN THE ORIGINAL VIRUS. BUT THE CHILDREN UNDER 12 ARE NOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINES. FACING MASKS SHOULD STILL BE AFFECTED. THEY SAY SOCIAL DISTANCING SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SAFEGUARD STUDENTS. EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, THE STATE SENATE VOTED NOT TO APPROVE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED GOVERNOR COOPER'S STATEWIDE MENDE REQUIREMENT FOR MASKS TO BE WORN. BACK TO YOU.

Aaron Thomas

Luke Notestine

Jodi Leese Glusco

Families divided over need for face masks in coming school year

The district says the school board will <a href="https://www.wral.com/video/families-divided-over-need-for-face-masks-in-coming-school-year/19751469/">discuss the mask policy</a> in August – the same month traditional students head back to the classrooms.

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Heather Leah

Masks required? Meals provided? First day of school for Durham year-round students

Back-to-school starts Monday for Durham year-round students

Durham Public Schools,back-to-school,coronavirus,coronavirus learning

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Multiple students and staff have been taken to the hospital Wednesday after a gas leak at a Smithfield school.

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Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

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Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Tuesday and Friday Mega Millions Drawing.

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Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 3 p.m. daily. They can be seen as live or on-demand video.

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Mack Brown said transfer wide receiver Tez Walker could play in the College Football Playoffs or in the team's bowl game because those take place after the fall semester is over. The NCAA deemed Walker ineligible for the 2023 regular season.

Masks required? Meals provided? First day of school for Durham year-round students

What to expect from the school year

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