The day before a statewide rally scheduled by the North Carolina Association of Educators, Wake County -- the largest school district in the state -- adjusted its calendar to allow year-round students to learn remotely. Wake County traditional-calendar schools already had a teacher work day planned for May 1.
Educators, families and activists from across the state are planning to gather in downtown Raleigh to call for improvements to North Carolina's public schools. The "Kids Over Corporations" rally is scheduled for Friday, May 1, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Halifax Mall.
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Schools change calendars for May 1
The addition of a remote learning day for Wake County brings the total to 18 school districts across the state that are closed to students on Friday, May 1: Alamance County Schools, Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools, Chatham County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Durham Public Schools, Gaston County Schools, Guilford County Schools, Hoke County Schools, Kannapolis City Schools, Mooresville City Schools, Orange County Schools, Pitt County Schools, Wake County Public School System, Whiteville City Schools and Winston-Salem-Forsyth County Schools.
Wake made the annoucement Thursday morning. Online, the school district posted:
Moments like this reinforce the vital role our educators play each day. We remain deeply committed to supporting our teachers and staff, and to partnering with our community to elevate a strong, unified voice in advocating for the resources and support our schools deserve.Wake County Public School System
Cumberland County was among the last to make the change to an optional teacher work day for May 1. On the district website, it explained the decision, writing, "This decision was made after reviewing staff availability, as a significant number of employees have requested leave to attend the education rally in Raleigh."
A Cumberland County Schools spokesperson told WRAL News that about 800 teachers had requested a substitute for May 1, and only about 60% of those classrooms had coverage.
To make up the day missed on May 1, Cumberland County students on a traditional calendar will have classes on Friday May 22. The last day of school will now be Tuesday May 26 with a two-hour early release, because they have used all of their remote learning days, and have no makeup days left and need those instructional hours to meet state requirements.
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education voted to make May 1 a teacher workday during a special meeting on April 20. The district said it already received higher-than-average leave requests for the day and anticipates more staff absences, which they said would impact school operations. Durham Public Schools said students will not have to make up the day.
Earlier this month, three other Triangle-area school systems adjusted their calendars to allow teacher to be out of the classroom on May 1.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools wrote, "CHCCS has already received a larger than usual number of staff absence requests for this day, which we believe to be related to the event." May 1 will be a teacher workday.
In Chatham County, the school board voted to make May 1 an annual leave day to allow teachers to take off. Guilford County also revised May 1 to an optional teacher workday.
In Wake County, May 1 was already scheduled to be a teacher workday for students on traditional calendar.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools board voted unanimously on Friday, April 24, to add a teacher workday for May 1, WBTV reported.
The station reported that other districts in and around the Charlotte region have been deciding how to handle the wave of leave requests, with some adding optional teacher workdays and others keeping schools open with substitutes.
Asking for more money for education
The NCAE said the rally will advocate for "increased funding for public schools, accountability for voucher spending, and an end to policies prioritizing tax cuts over students."
The event comes weeks after the state Supreme Court threw out a multibillion-dollar plan to improve North Carolina's public schools in a ruling that ended the long-running lawsuit known as Leandro.
Parties had come to an agreement on a plan in 2021 that would have drastically increased funding by more than $5 billion — funding for things such as special education, teacher pay, counselors, social workers and school nurses. It also included many policy changes, on things such as school improvement. But none of that money was ever paid out, and the state's highest court dismissed the case entirely.
