GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Editor's note: The above video is from a previous story.
District leaders with Guilford County Schools announced Friday students will continue learning at-home for at least another week.
School officials said students in Pre-K and Kindergarten who are learning on campus on a voluntary basis will continue to do so, and so will students who receive related services in-person.
According to a GCS news release, the Board of Education approved a plan on September 24 to gradually bring back students starting October 20, if community health metrics were trending in the right direction.
“The superintendent was directed by the school board to meet regularly with public health officials to review the data, discuss COVID-19 research and consider the best ways to help prevent spread of COVID-19 in schools,” said Deena Hayes, chairperson of the Guilford County Board of Education.
GCS said the school board will review the latest data and the community health metrics they put in place to drive school reopening decisions at their November 10 meeting.
Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras plans to ask school board members to make a long-term decision about whether to continue trying to reopen schools prior to winter break, or to wait until January.
“So far, the health metrics approved by the Board of Education have not been met,” Hayes said, noting the superintendent does not have the authority to overrule the board’s September 24 vote and return students to school. “There seems to be a misconception that the superintendent is preventing us from reopening or is ignoring the board’s directives to follow the metrics.”
Hayes said the fact “most students” are not in school makes it clear the superintendent is adhering to the board’s adopted metrics.
Contreras and Hayes agree the week-to-week uncertainty has been difficult for students’ families to manage as they juggle work, childcare, online learning and other responsibilities.
“Our families need time to plan and make the appropriate arrangements for their children,” Contreras said.
Contreras said larger districts nationwide are reopening, even in densely populated areas.
“We have developed detailed plans and spent significant staff hours and financial resources to prepare our schools, put health and safety precautions in place and purchase personal protective equipment for students and staff,” she said.
Contreras said her goal remains the same of moving forward with a gradual and careful reopening of schools.
GCS said her recommendation will include an immediate phased-in reopening—as early as November 12—for GCS first through second grade students, exceptional children in 91 self-contained classrooms, as well as students served in GCS’ four public separate schools.
According to GCS, pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students have been attending school for in-person instruction since September 29 and October 5, respectively. Certain students with disabilities started receiving related services in-person earlier this fall as well.
"Students in GCS’ exceptional children program, particularly those served in the adapted curriculum classes, are having tremendous difficulty accessing the educational program—an education Contreras said they are guaranteed by state and federal law," read a statement from a news release.
According to school officials, data released from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes shows students could be losing as much as 183 days of learning time in reading and 232 days in math in an online learning setting.
“We must balance the potential academic and social harm to students with the health concerns associated with COVID-19, especially as we learn more about COVID-19 transmission rates in schools,” Contreras said.
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