Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will not bring back any more students for in-person learning until after the holidays. The school board approved the measure recommended by Interim Superintendent Tricia McManus during its meeting Tuesday night.
This comes as the county's current positivity rate is more than 8%. Several schools are also dealing with outbreaks.
Dozens of people spoke during the public comment period. Some parents tearfully shared how their kids are already improving being back in classrooms. Others shared frustrations and fear over rising COVID-19 cases in the community.
McManus says it's a difficult decision, but the right one for now.
“It is really late in the year," she says. "We don't have a lot of time left and to bring back another group of kids when we don't have a lot of time left is extremely disruptive even to homes, to schedules, to families.”
Exceptional children and pre-K through first grade will continue with in-person learning. They returned to classrooms this month.
McManus says if the community health metrics improve, her plan is to bring back second, third, and sixth-grade students on January 11. Grades 4,5,7 and 8 would return by January 18. The first high school cohort will return on January 21.
Students currently in school, Pre-K through 1, EC, ESL Academy and OCS students, will continue with in-person instruction as scheduled. The goal is to have in-person learning for all remaining grades, including high school by January 21.
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