Durham Public Schools announce virtual classes for remainder of year

Last night the district became the first in our area to remain in Plan C for the rest of the year.

The Chief Communications officer for Durham Public Schools said the decision was based on the metrics.

The district was hoping the county's COVID positivity rate would be under 4 percent, but right now it's around 7 percent.

So they've decided Plan C is the safest option.

William Sudderth III, the chief communications officer for the district, said it was a tough decision.

"By making the decision to hold off on returning to the classrooms until the end of the school year, we're providing stability and continuity for families. Students will have the same teacher,” he said.

Some families want their children back in the classroom. Others say it's just not safe, especially for the younger students.

Brandi Minor's son, Preston, is in the 2nd grade in Durham schools. She said  it's been a difficult year, but she feels the district made the right choice.

“He does miss the classroom and I do feel bad he’s missing out on that peer interaction,” she said. "But he wasn't wearing a mask."

She said she had concerns about classroom safety, since children didn't have to wear masks, and young children have to constantly be reminded to wash their hands.

She said with all the other kids and all the germs, she's not 100 percent sure he was taking all the right precautions not to catch COVID.

"No, I’m not going to put him in that situation,” she said.

Many parents took to social media to make their thoughts known.

Some comments say parents should have gotten a choice. Others say they are concerned about their children's mental, emotional and social health.

Sudderth assures these are all issues the board has taken into consideration.

"It’s really a no-win when when you’re dealing with a pandemic," he said. "We’re doing the right thing for our students and our staff and their safety. And we’re going to do everything we can to make online learning better."

Sudderth said they are working on a proposal for next month which could provide some sort of optional in-person learning for students with exceptional needs. However, that proposal is still in the early stages. ​