Wake elementary school will switch to remote learning Wednesday because of COVID-19

Knightdale Elementary School will become the latest Wake County school to temporarily suspend in-person learning because of COVID-19.

In an email to parents, Knightdale Elementary cited staff shortages and/or a large number of student absences due to COVID-19 for switching to remote instruction on Wednesday. The school says it hopes to return to in-person learning on Thursday and will let families know by Wednesday.

Knightdale Elementary will be the only school in the district that switches to remote instruction on Wednesday because of COVID, according to Lisa Luten, a district spokeswoman. She said another school is having HVAC issues but those are expected to be fixed to have classes Wednesday.

This comes after Carroll Middle School in Raleigh switched to remote instruction on Friday due to COVID issues. It’s reopening for in-person learning on Wednesday after having been closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Tuesday for a teacher workday.

Schools in Wake County and across the state are facing challenges staying open for in-person instruction at a time when the omicron variant is leading to record numbers of new COVID cases.

Process for going to remote instruction

Wake had set up a system last week where principals at schools with 20% or more of their staff who are out due to COVID-19 can begin considering remote instruction. Principals at those schools are to contact their area superintendent to discuss their options.

Under a change made in state law, schools and classes can only switch to remote instruction in a COVID-19 emergency this school year if they don’t have enough staff or they have too many students quarantined. The change in state law makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for entire school districts to switch to remote instruction.

Schools are so shortstaffed that Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week that state employees can use their 24 hours of paid community leave to become substitutes at schools. He said state employees can serve in roles such as substitute teachers, school bus drivers and cafeteria workers.