CARY, N.C. (WNCN) – Wake County school leaders voted Tuesday to give the superintendent the authority to increase in-person instruction in schools.
The school board voted 7-2 to give superintendent Cathy Moore the power to increase the amount of in-person classes either on a school-by-school basis or for the entire district.
Multiple board members spoke about wanting to move away from a system-wide approach to bringing students back into the classrooms.
“I do not believe that there should be one-size-fits-all. I haven’t believed that from the beginning. But there needs to be clear criteria by which the decisions are made,” said board member Dr. Jim Martin. “Without clear criteria, even with differential operation, then I have to ask, ‘How are these decisions going to be made?”
On Feb. 2, the Wake County board of education approved in an 8-1 vote a proposal to begin a phased return to in-person instruction. Pre-K through third grades and special education students have since returned full time while fourth through 12th grades are on three-week rotations.
“I can’t tell you that this is a perfect process and it will produce perfect results, but I have to put my faith somewhere. If we’re motivated to do the best for our students, for our staff, for our community, this is the way to do it,” said board member Chris Heagarty.