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Murphy – Remote learning days will no longer be on the calendar for Cherokee County Schools.
The Cherokee County Board of Education unanimously voted Thursday to end remote learning days as of the 2022-23 school year. Those days will instead be converted to on-campus, face-to-face student days.
The board made the move in the process of adopting the 2022-23 school calendar during the regularly scheduled March meeting. Board members James Ellis and Keesha Curtis both voiced their preference that remote learning days go away entirely.
“Every time we have a (remote day), I get phone calls and every parent I run into says, ‘Why?’ ” Ellis said. “What are we doing?
“The kids are behind as it is. And, really, these last two days, I’ve probably heard 10 parents say these two days were just two days off.”
Legislation required North Carolina public schools to hold five remote learning days during the 2021-22 school year in order to keep systems prepared to go fully remote in the event of another shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Superintendent Jeana Conley noted that all other surrounding school districts are set to continue remote learning days next year, but she was happy to make the change. Conley said Cherokee County Schools will find other ways to maintain a level of preparedness in the event of a future shutdown.
“It doesn’t bother me to be different when we think we’re doing the right thing for our kids here in Cherokee County,” Conley said.
“We’re in the kid business. The more days they’re here, the better.”