With safety first, Wake students will return to classrooms, some for first time in almost a year

Ahead of the return to classrooms, Superintendent Cathy Moore provided more insight into plans for moving forward.

Moore said she is confident students and teachers can return to classrooms safely because the school district had been successfully managing in-person learning for some elementary and middle school students before the holiday break.

Moore said all schools will return to the standards that worked through the fall: Wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining physical distance and offering hand sanitizer and wipes in classrooms.

"As we return, it's important to remind everyone that compliance with the structures and protocols that have been established to promote safety, continue to be critical to maintaining safe buildings, safe classrooms and keep us in in-person instruction," she said.

Starting next week, Pre-K through third grade students can learn in-person daily. Other grade levels will rotate in and out of their school buildings.

For high school students, it will be their first time back in schools since last March. Moore said the schools will try to remain flexible, listen to feedback from parents and make modifications if needed.

"We know that remote learning doesn't fit for every student, and some content areas might be more difficult depending on the level of engagement that is needed," she said.

She applauded educators for working hard to bridge those gaps.

She said teachers will be watching for gaps in learning, and not only are they preparing for gaps in learning for the rest of the semester – but looking ahead to how this entire year of the pandemic will impact learning loss that will impact next year.

"It will impact students, I think, for a couple of years, at least," she said.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that school personnel will become eligible for vaccinations against coronavirus on Feb. 24, giving districts time to devise plans to carry out the effort.

"We are working to ensure that we've got some structures and ways to get our teachers to go ahead and sign up. There are already some tools out there taking waitlists for Group 3 folks," said Moore.

The school system is also considering the possibility of distributing vaccine to teachers on campus.

“The decision to return is with safety first," Moore said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued its school safety guidance on Friday, with common themes of masks, hand-washing and distance. President Joe Biden has said reopening schools would be a priority in his first 100 days in office, and the White House says his plan hinges on what the CDC says.

“The president will not rest until every school is open, five days a week. That is our goal," said Jen Psaki, White House press secretary.

The CDC's guidance will help with decisions impacting families in the Triangle, such as giving school districts a starting point to find the best way forward.