Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders will make a joint announcement Wednesday on legislation that could reopen public schools across North Carolina.
According to Cooper’s office, the governor will make the announcement alongside Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Tim Moore, and State Superintendent Catherine Truitt at 11 a.m. regarding school reopening plans.
On March 4, the State Board of Education ruled that all districts must offer in-person learning, and in the process, approved new COVID-19 safety guidelines, including mandatory face masks and social distancing for students from sixth grade through high school.
Last month, Cooper “strongly urged” all public schools to offer in-person learning as soon as possible. He then vetoed Senate Bill 37, which would force all public schools to offer in-person learning. An attempt to override Cooper’s veto failed in the Senate.
“The question on SB 37 that I vetoed is not whether our children should be in the classroom in person. They absolutely should. The question is whether we do it safely,” Cooper said.
Cooper said he asked state lawmakers to compromise on two issues: social distancing and requiring schools to follow state and local health guidelines for COVID-19. The governor said he would sign the legislation if those two issues were addressed. #COVID19 #NCPOL
