What is CHCCS doing to address the complications of this unplanned teacher workday?

Teachers from all across North Carolina will host a walkout in Raleigh to petition state politicians for better salaries on Wednesday. This group will include educators from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). After some debate, CHCCS has decided to not have school on the day of the protest.

“Due to projected teacher absences that far exceed the district’s ability to safely and effectively operate schools, the Board of Education voted to change Wednesday, May 16 to an optional Teacher Workday,” said a statement on the CHCCS website. 

This walkout takes place during a period of growing dissatisfaction among teachers across the United States. According to the Washington Post, the average teacher salary in North Carolina for the 2016-17 school year was $49,837, which is below the national average and an 11.8 percent decrease from the 1999-2000 school year. 

During a school board meeting May 3, the district voted unanimously to close all CHCCS schools for the day of the walkout. CHCCS is joining other school districts that will be closing across the state, including Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

School closings can be stressful for low-income families who are unable to take time off work to take care of younger children and cannot afford to hire a babysitter. They can also be difficult for food-insecure children who are typically able to get consistent meals during the school day through free and reduced meal programs. 

CHCCS spokesperson Jeff Nash said that school administrators were aware of these needs and took them into consideration when deciding whether or not to have a school closing.

“We do have meal options. We’re going to have a handful of sites around the district,” He said.

Nash said a message was sent to all families in the school district to inform them of when and where the meals will be served. Both breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost for children of any age at Carrboro Elementary, Northside Elementary and McDougle Elementary. Lunch will also be served at a handful of community sites.

Although some families will have difficulty finding someone to watch their children, Nash said daycare options were considered, but would not be offered by CHCCS because of the lack of available staff.

When asked about the impact the walkout and school closing could have on students and families, particularly for low-income ones, Nash said it would be difficult to provide a comment due to the number of families in the CHCCS district. 

“I think that’s different from household to household,” he said. 

The school closing also raised concerns about high school students who are scheduled to take AP exams on Wednesday and would need transportation to the school. CHCCS said in their statement that the schools were working to provide accommodations for students, though at the time of publication no further information was available.