Durham school board votes 4-3 to return to the classroom amidst increasing vaccinations, falling COVID-19 cases

The Durham School Board voted Tuesday, 4-3, to move forward with returning to in-person learning, starting on March 15.

The four small specialty high schools (City of Medicine Academy, J.D. Clement Early College High School, Middle College at Durham Tech, and New Tech High School) will reopen for a cohort of students on March 18, and the remaining high schools and middle schools will reopen for a cohort on April 8.

All schools will provide online-only asynchronous learning on “Wellness Wednesdays.” Elementary students would be in-person for the other four days a week. Middle and high school students will attend on Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays on three rotating cohorts.

The DPS Staff Development Center has been vaccinating school employees for several days now in a state-sponsored event. Members of the Durham Association of Educators said vaccinations are happening at a surprisingly fast pace and the COVID-19 infection rate is less than 5% in the county. These are the factors that have changed the minds of some educators who now want in-person learning.

“Being in person is a different feeling and a lot of people miss that feeling," said Turquoise Parker, vice president of the association.

It’s a change of heart for members who have fought hard, calling on the Gov. Roy Cooper to veto a bill that would have required all public school districts to offer some in-person learning. Cooper's veto withstood an override vote on Monday night, but Parker's group changed their mind on Tuesday.

“We were opposed to school reopening because at that point there was no conversation happening around vaccinations for staff who wants to be vaccinated. Having that opportunity, present day is making a lot of educators feel more comfortable," said Parker.

She added about half of all employees have received their first dose so far.

“Not only do vaccines need that second dose to be effective, they need the 10 to 14 days after that," said a school board member in a previous meeting.

The association believes by pushing the start date back until after spring break, there will be more time to execute a more organized and safe re-opening plan.

“So it gives everyone really a chance to be double vaccinated. We know that the opportunity to make sure we give ourselves and our families time to make this as best of a transition as possible is really really important," said Parker.