North Carolina Governor Cooper Allows Elementary Schools To Open Full-Time

Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina school districts will soon have the option to allow elementary schools to open full time for in-person learning.

Gov. Cooper's announcement will allow school administrators to go into "Plan A" of North Carolina's COVID-19 school protocols as soon as October 5, but officials will limit that option to kindergarten through fifth grade only during a press conference on Thursday, ABC 11 reports.

Middle schools and high schools will also be allowed to offer in-person learning, but under "Plan B," which requires a reduced capacity of students attending in-person and several other strict safety measures. Gov. Cooper's announcement comes exactly one month after North Carolina students returned to school for the 2020-21 academic year on August 17.

According to ABC 11, 60 of the 115 North Carolina school districts are welcoming students back for in-person classes, while 55 others, including Wake County Public School System, Durham Public Schools and Cumberland County Schools, plan to remain in a virtual setting.

The decision, however, will ultimately come down to each district's school board and many plan to keep the existing state of affairs regardless of a change in protocols, ABC 11 reports. On Thursday, the Cumberland County Schools Board of Education voted 6-3 against a proposed transition to Plan B, instead opting to keep classes virtual until at least December, ABC 11 reports.

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