June 12, 2020

Parents,

This week, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released directions to school districts for reopening school buildings. We appreciate their thoughtful leadership in developing guidance that provides a path forward to reopening public schools.

The state requires that we prepare three plans for the 2020-21 school year.

Plan A - Minimal Social Distancing: This plan allows for most students to attend school on a school campus. All campuses are operating under enhanced health and social distancing protocols.

Plan B - Blending Learning: In this plan, schools must reduce the number of people in the building to at least half. This means that some students will be learning from home and some will be on a school campus. All campuses are operating under enhanced health and social distancing protocols.

Plan C - Remote Learning Only: In this plan, all students are learning from home. There are no students or employees on school campuses.

Based on public health data, state and/or local health officials will determine under which plan we operate. We anticipate that health officials will require us to shift plans throughout the school year, in response to our community’s public health needs.

Governor Cooper’s office is expected to announce by July 1 how schools should operate on the first day of school.

The state also called for an option for a virtual school for students who, for health reasons, cannot return to a school campus. We are also actively exploring this option for a wider group of families.

We know you have many questions and we’re working on those answers now. We still anticipate sharing details about each plan, a virtual school option and enhanced health and safety measures for our school campuses in early July.

As we shared last week, we are basing all decisions on health guidance from trusted sources – the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Wake County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As we begin to make these important decisions, the health and well-being of every member of our community is at the forefront of our minds.

We also arrive at our decisions cautiously, with the understanding that as the public health response to COVID-19 changes, so may our plans.

We close by reminding all families to remain vigilant in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

When you leave home, practice your W’s: Wear, Wait, Wash.

Wear a cloth face covering if you will be with other people.

Wait 6 feet apart. Avoid close contact.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.

Share with your child that these habits protect our families, friends and neighbors. They are acts of kindness that when practiced collectively can have a tremendous impact on our community, especially for those at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.



With warm regards,



Cathy Q. Moore, Superintendent