Return to Learn 2020-21: July 14

Governor Cooper Announces We Will Open in Plan B

Hmoob  |  Español

Here are the top 6 things you need to know from this message: 

1. On August 17, all NC public schools will open in Plan B which is a combination of in-person learning and remote learning.

2. All kindergarten through 12th-grade students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear a face-covering while on school campuses and buses.

3. North Carolina will remain in the Safer at Home Executive Order Phase 2 through at least August 7.

4. The Board of Education will have a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, July 16, at 5:00 PM, to approve a Plan B education model.

5. For families who choose not to send their child(ren) for in-person learning, we are excited to offer a 100% remote option for students in grades K-12 through our Online Catawba K-12 Virtual Academy. 

6. Next week, along with detailed information about what the next school year will look like, we will send out a Return-to-Learn Student Intention Form that will be required to be completed for all students.

Dear Catawba County Schools Families, 

This afternoon, Governor Cooper made three big announcements that affect all public school districts in North Carolina - including ours. Governor Cooper announced that:

1. On August 17, all public schools will open in Plan B. Plan B means that our students will have a combination of in-person learning and remote learning. This combination is required in order to keep our school buildings from exceeding 50% capacity to ensure proper social distancing.

2. All kindergarten through 12th-grade students will be required to wear a face-covering unless the student has a medical reason. Staff and visitors will also be required to wear face-coverings. The state will provide at least five reusable masks to every student and staff member. 

3. North Carolina will remain in the Safer at Home Executive Order Phase 2, which means, among other things, that there will be no change in mass gatherings at least through August 7.  

Governor Cooper also stressed that the start of school is still a month away and a lot can happen with the virus during that time. He stated that if trends spike, then North Carolina will move to 100% remote learning. But for right now, we will all be planning on starting school on August 17 in Plan B. 

Next Steps

The Board of Education will have a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, July 16, at 5:00 PM, to approve a Plan B education model. We will present all the data from the parent survey we sent out yesterday, along with the survey results from both the administration and teacher surveys about the best educational option under Plan B. 

If you have not already done so, please complete the Plan B Parent Survey so we can understand which of 3 options under Plan B will work best for the majority of our families.  The survey closes on Thursday, July 16, at 12:00 PM, in preparation for the Board of Education meeting.

We understand that not all families are able or comfortable with sending their children to school for in-person learning. We are excited to offer a fully remote option through our Online Catawba K-12 Virtual Learning Academy.  Online Catawba is 100% remote, 100% flexible, and 100% free to Catawba County residents. Our program has quickly grown in 3 years to have over 1,000 7th-12th graders enrolled. For 2020-21, we are proud to offer it to all grade levels - even to our youngest learners. More details to follow next week!

Next week, we will send out a Return-to-Learn Student Intention Form that will be required to be completed for all students. We will detail your options for the 2020-21 school year so you can make an informed decision about what is best for your child(ren) and your family.

Thank you so much for your support and patience as we all work through this together. We truly have the best community! 

Sincerely,

Matt Stover
Superintendent

View Governor Cooper's Press Conference in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language