NHC Schools closes learning labs, offers in-person learning for employees' children

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Unlike most parents in New Hanover County (NHC), teachers now have the option to send their children to school for full-time, in-person learning four days a week. Wednesday is a cleaning day where all children learn remotely.

From the start of the school year until now, employees' children had access to remote learning labs. The labs were originally offered to help school employees while they worked, by offering a space for their kids to stay and be looked after while they did their own school work.

As of Monday, this will no longer be an option; the labs are closing due to a lack of staffing to run them.

From parents to teachers, not everyone is happy about the decision. One teacher released this statement:

“The regular disruption of employee options increases stress within families and puts further strain on teachers who are being asked to continually adapt to new changes professionally as well.”

They continued by noting safety concerns...

“Children will now be present with students from both attendance groups, participants in the Remote Learning Labs on Wednesdays as well as new options for after-school care.”

Some parents believe it’s unfair teachers have the option to send their children back to school full-time and other families don’t. But some feel it could be the first step to positive change for everyone.

“It feels almost riskier to go from what we are right now to everybody back,” said Julie-Ann Scott Pollock.

Scott-Pollock has two kids in the school system. She is also an educator and believes, if things go well, it could lay the groundwork to a safe Plan A reopening.

“Having strategic kids go to pave the way to see how that works...have teachers figure out how are we going to socially distance as we add a few more. That feels safer to me than abruptly shifting from B to A,” said Scott-Pollock.

Friday is the final day of the remote learning labs. If employees choose, their children will be in school for four days of in-person learning each week, starting November 2.

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