Idalia forces school districts to go remote or cancel classes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As Idalia moves into North Carolina, some school districts have announced they are either moving to remote learning Thursday or canceling classes altogether.

Harnett and Cumberland counties announced Wednesday afternoon that they are moving to “asynchronous remote learning” for their students on Thursday due to potential inclement weather.

Cumberland County Schools also said their students enrolled in classes at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College and College Connections should reach out to their instructors for further guidance.

The Cumberland County school district’s offices and buildings will be closed Thursday, according to a news release. All after school activities and athletic events scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday evening have been canceled or rescheduled, and the Prime Time Before & After School Program will be closed Thursday.

Meanwhile in Moore County, the school district there said schools will be closed Thursday due to the expected bad weather. Wednesday after school activities, with the exception of after school care, are also canceled, according to a news release.

The district said that as of Wednesday afternoon, they expect schools to operate on their regular schedules Friday. A final decision about Friday’s schedule will be made no later than 5 p.m. Thursday.

Durham County is closing its public schools to students Thursday but is having staff still come to school on a two-hour delay.

“All staff are expected to report with caution within two hours of their start time or use the appropriate leave for missed or reduced shifts. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your supervisor directly,” Durham Public Schools said in a statement.

Nash County Public Schools announced that school will be closed for all students and staff on Thursday.

In Johnston County, school district leaders also said school will be closed for all students, staff and visitors due to the impending weather conditions from Idalia. This also includes all after-school activities on Thursday.

Also, Chatham County Schools will be closed on Thursday.

Kidos Academy in Raleigh will operate under a two-hour delay, starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, Wake County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, and all after-school extracurricular activities are canceled. Warren County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay.

Meanwhile, the new Northern High School in Durham has delay its opening for students and staff until after Labor Day.

“We acknowledge that this is a less than ideal start to the school year, and our desire is to have our Northern students learning in a beautiful new facility befitting the legacy Northern holds,” Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga said in a released statement. “I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, but please know these were unanticipated delays. We are still very excited to welcome our students to this state-of-the-art facility and are doing everything within our power to ensure our doors open to begin this new era for Northern High School.”