Wake County schools announced they will be closed Wednesday, and the district will not have remote learning days this week as a winter storm approaches central North Carolina.
Tamani Powell, Wake County schools' director of marketing and communications in the office of magnet and curriculum enhancement programs, said the district would not have remote learning this week in a text to WRAL News.
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"We work as a district to ensure, first, the safety of everyone," Powell said.
Powell acts as the liaison who works on all of the instructional calendars.
The Wake County Public School System announced schools will be closed Wednesday due to the incoming snow, and makeup days will be sent to parents.
"We have some options," Powell said.
Powell said the district would consider having its makeup days during spring break "as a very last resort."
"In general, it's difficult to support [having makeup days during] spring break across the board," Powell said.
Other school districts around central North Carolina will consider remote learning days or whether to close this week. For example, Durham Public Schools and Orange County Public Schools will have remote learning days Wednesday.
Related: Closings and delays
By law, North Carolina public schools need 1,025 instructional hours. Wake County Schools includes 1,062 hours in its traditional school calendar. Wake County Schools’ current policy requires the district to use all of its extra time and work days before turning to virtual instruction.
Before the last storm, a district spokesperson said it had 22 hours, or three full school days, left over. However, schools have closed at least twice since then.
Several Wake County schools have already exhausted their banked days because of reasons unrelated to inclement weather. While Monday was a teacher workday for most of Wake’s traditional calendar schools, eight schools were in session for make-up days from the last winter storm.
Last month, school board members discussed revising its remote learning policy.
“…so that we have that option to fall back on for learning without the need for the conveniences of our days,” school board member Dr. Wing Ng said during a policy committee meeting.
The superintendent is studying the issue before board members make any changes.
Wake County schools’ traditional calendar had five days off per school year. This does not account for individual days due to HVAC issues or early dismissal. The district’s year-round schools have six days off per school year.
WRAL Weather Alert Days issued for Wednesday and Thursday
Wednesday and Thursday are WRAL Weather Alert Days because we expect snow and sleet throughout central North Carolina. Wednesday’s storm will be the third with snow accumulation this year in the area.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for North Carolina’s northern and eastern counties. It goes into effect Wednesday at 7 a.m. and will last until 10 a.m. Thursday. Other counties, including the Triangle and Sandhills are under a Winter Weather Advisory during that time frame.
Northern parts of Wake County are expected to see 2-4 inches of snow and sleet. Raleigh is expected to see between 1-2 inches of snow and sleet.
NC school systems weigh remote learning vs. cancellations as another winter storm approaches
The busy winter season has forced schools to close due to hazardous conditions, eating away at “banked time” for districts. Most districts set aside time, called “banked time,” in anticipation of school closures throughout the year. The proactive step is meant to help to avoid having to make modifications to the calendar.
“[Our bank time] is nearly depleted after the first few rounds of winter weather led to one snow day and a few delayed starts earlier this year,” said Andy Jenks, a spokesperson for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
For some districts, COVID-era remote learning has been a useful tool.
“We try to use our remote learning when we can, if we have advanced notice,” said Courtney Currin, the assistant superintendent of human resources and operations for Granville County Schools.
Currin said they will send home paper packets or assign virtual material with students. Making the decision to go remote or to cancel classes all together is a delicate balance. According to state law, most public schools can use up to five remote learning days.
“Remote learning helps us to get in that groove with the students, so we're not having to go back and reteach so often,” Currin said. “If it's going to be something like an ice storm, where we would anticipate many people would be without power, we would tend to close instead of using remote learning that day, just based on what we think people have access to.”