New Hanover County Schools remain open, leaders plan as COVID-19 spreads

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover County Schools made the call Friday afternoon to stay open, as COVID-19 continues to spread.

Interim Superintendent Del Burns says there is no decision to close at this time.

“This is unprecedented,” Burns said “We have not been here before.”

That means there is a lot of terrain for the school district to navigate regarding the spread of COVID-19. Burns explains the reasoning behind the decision to remain open.

“The CDC guidance at this time indicates there is not benefit for a short term closure of schools, with respect to stopping the spread of the disease,” Burns said.

An uncertain number of people from Williston Middle School and Forest Hills Global Elementary School chose to self-quarantine as a precaution. Out of privacy efforts, Burns could not answer whether those people are students, teachers or staff.

Burns also addressed the concern about students being penalized for needing to miss school.

“That is not a question,” he said. “We need for parents to do what they believe is in the best interest of their children.”

Burns says students’ health and learning are top priorities, also discussing the issue of learning continuity for those who may miss school.

“We’ll focus on supplemental learning,” he said. “Obviously, without having a teacher in front of you, it’s very challenging. We’ll look at the learning that has occurred. Ways to maintain and support that. There will be no focus on new learning at this time.”

Burns says they are monitoring attendance, and up until Friday, there was not an abnormal number of absences.

With meetings planned through the weekend, he says they will continue to monitor the situation and make changes as necessary.

“I feel very good about the leadership in the district,” Burns said.

Burns says they are already looking at plans for potentially sending students home with devices in the event schools close.

In terms of keeping schools clean, he says they already have a strict cold and flu cleaning procedure, and they’re doing that cleaning even more frequently now.