Durham parents weigh pros & cons of kids going back to school as COVID cases rise

Through the summer, North Carolina has seen a resurgence in cases with the emergence of the Delta variant. Nearly 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,300 hospitalizations were reported in the state on Wednesday afternoon in numbers not seen since January.

North Carolina Coronavirus dashboard - Maps, charts and data

The district, like parents, is aware of the health risks, and school leaders are trying to make the best of a difficult situation.

"It’s not without a little bit of anxiety that I want my children to go back to school, but I know that’s what’s best for them socially and emotionally," said Jessica Simo, a parent of two children.

DPS will continue requiring everyone to mask up in class during the coming school year, regardless of vaccination status. The district says they're balancing the fine line of prioritizing students' health while providing a suitable learning environment.

"It’s understandable that people would be concerned," said DPS Chief Communications Officer Chip Sudderth. "We’re close to the opening of traditional school. The pandemic is still with us. We’re dealing with a dual reality that the pandemic is with us, and that students do better when they are in school. So we are doing everything we can to protect student and staff health and safety while getting them re-engaged in teaching and learning."

Daniele Berman has a daughter at Hope Valley Elementary. She said she decided back in the spring that it was best for her child to go back to school in person.

"Virtual school has been hard," Berman said. "She did fine, but it’s not her favorite thing. And she really misses being in school with her friends and her peers and seeing her teachers in real life."

However, Berman's a bit apprehensive about her child being around other unvaccinated children.

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"We keep hearing that this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and we think about we’re sending all of our unvaccinated kids right back into the same room, all together."

Aug. 24 is the first day of school on the traditional calendar for DPS. During a meeting on Thursday, DPS will present a back-to-school plan to the board that includes COVID safety protocols.

Durham was one of the first districts in the state to go virtual in 2020. Ignite Online Academy is the full virtual option in the district. Sudderth said they've had at least 600 families apply for and enroll in the academy, considerably less than the number seen last year.

"The state is telling us that we’ll be in school, and we are committed to doing it as safely and healthily as possible," Sudderth said.

Several upcoming events in Durham have been canceled in recent days, including Black August in the Park and the scheduled food truck rodeo in Durham Central Park.