CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s 19 Catholic schools will open this fall for in-person instruction, school leaders have announced, yet also will offer remote learning options for students who opt to stay at home due to health concerns. Opening dates for teachers and students have recently been communicated to parents.
The schools will follow guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the safest possible learning environment – including health screenings, frequent cleaning and handwashing, face coverings, safe distancing, protective barriers and other protocols to keep students and staff healthy and safe.
A diocesan taskforce worked with public health officials to compile extensive guidelines for all 19 schools, which are being customized for the needs of each school. Parents received their school’s specific plans in July.
In a report emailed to school families, Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocese’s new superintendent of schools, emphasized the importance of in-person instruction for students’ intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.
“We believe the faith growth, social interaction and synchronous learning that happens when our students are together is essential,” Monroe said.
Monroe pointed to guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that prioritizes in-person learning as best for students’ overall welfare. The AAP recently joined education groups including the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association in urging school leaders to return to in-person learning – but also cautioning them to make local decisions based on the capacity “to adapt safety protocols to make in-person learning safe and feasible.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced July 14 that public school systems can open this fall using virtual instruction or a combination of virtual and in-person classes. Private and religious schools, including those of the Charlotte diocese, are using public school guidance as recommendations that can be customized to help meet their specific needs.
The Catholic schools’ relatively small populations, class sizes and campuses enable them to be flexible in adapting their operations to ensure the safest possible learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, school leaders said, small class sizes mean desks may be spaced apart more easily to ensure safe distancing. And if larger classes cannot be split into smaller groups, they can move to larger spaces in adjacent parish halls and churches.
The diocese’s decision to open schools comes after weeks of planning and research by a 10-member taskforce of school leaders, the MACS director of nursing, clergy and other stakeholders who have been working closely with public health officials to establish diocese-wide guidelines to help students return to school safely.
The opening plan takes into account the latest science, including research indicating that COVID-19 is less transmittable between children and from children to adults.
Students, parents and teachers also have participated in taskforces set up to apply and adapt the diocese-wide guidelines to suit each school’s particular circumstances.
A majority of families told the Catholic Schools Office they want children to return safely to in-person learning. A survey of 1,717 parents in late June found an overwhelming preference for in-classroom instruction (63%) over a hybrid model (27%) or virtual model (10%).
School leaders also consulted other diocesan school systems including the neighboring Diocese of Raleigh.
“Our decision to open to in-person learning has been made intentionally and carefully, with the goal of providing the best educational experience for our school family while also safeguarding the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff,” Monroe said.
All schools will accommodate “sustained remote learning” for students unable to attend due to health concerns, including anxiety or a family member’s compromised immune system.
“Together with our fellow Catholic, Christian and independent schools across the state and the nation, we look forward to returning to in-person learning safely and securely,” Monroe said.
In a revised opening plan communicated to parents July 31, Monroe announced that teachers and staff will return to school in mid-August for training in the new safety protocols, and students will begin classes one to two weeks later:
- Aug. 31: Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, Sacred Heart School (Salisbury), St. Michael School (Gastonia), Our Lady of Grace and St. Pius X schools (Greensboro), Immaculate Heart of Mary School (High Point), Our Lady of Mercy and St. Leo schools (Winston-Salem), and Bishop McGuinness High School (Kernersville)
- Sept. 8: Immaculata School (Hendersonville) and Asheville Catholic School
— Catholic News Herald
Comprehensive protective measures for all Catholic schools include:
Health Checks/Alerts
- Daily temperature screenings for all students, teachers and staff upon entering school
- Daily CDC COVID-19 symptom checklist performed by parents at home, then again at school for everyone entering school
- Coordinate with health officials to conduct contact tracing in the event any student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19
- Inform parents of any positive tests for COVID-19 within their children’s school
Traffic Control
- Directional arrows in hallways and stairwells to create one-way routes
- No large gatherings or school assemblies
- Detailed guidance on the use of communal areas, rotation schedules, lunch procedures, etc.
- Entry and exit protocols including staggered schedules and multiple entrances; required face coverings during drop-off/pick-up and movement through common areas; and safe distancing while entering or leaving the building
- Staggered playground schedules and no mixing of classes
- Modified cafeteria layouts and lunch schedules to accommodate safe distancing
- Additional bus routes if needed to accommodate safe distancing for bus riders
Protective Devices/Behaviors
- Face coverings for all teachers and staff; grade K-12 students upon arrival and on buses; and grade 6-12 students inside all schools when safe distancing cannot be maintained
- Spacing desks to allow for safe social distancing, modifying room layouts and/or relocating classes to larger rooms to ensure safe distancing
- Plexiglass protective barriers in areas where safe distancing is not possible (such as bathroom sinks and cafeteria kitchens)
Cleaning/Hygiene
- Hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies in every classroom
- Sanitizing according to health protocols of all common areas and high-touch surfaces multiple times throughout the day
- Handwashing schedules
- Frequent cleaning for high-touch surfaces, classrooms, common areas and bathrooms, buses and recess equipment
Training
- All staff and students will receive ongoing training for how to effectively implement and manage new safety protocols, with an emphasis on good hygiene and appropriate enforcement
Food/Water
- Compliance by catering services and cafeteria employees with COVID-19 safe food handling, preparation and distribution protocols as prescribed by public health officials
- Blocking off water fountains; replaced by water bottle refilling stations or disposable cups at water stations
Fitness/Extracurricular Activities
- No sharing of gym/recess equipment
- Physical education classes held outside whenever possible
- Limited activities involving physical contact
- Athletics will adhere to state and local county guidelines
- Feasibility of band, chorus, plays, etc. will be evaluated at the school level
- Field trips remain on hold
Visitors
- No visitors will be allowed in classrooms at this time. Visitors will have limited access to schools and must be approved, health screened and wear face covering at all times.
For more information, parents should contact their school’s administration or see the Catholic Schools Office's 
FAQ.
Pictured below: Hand sanitizing stations are being placed at entrances and throughout every school building. Desks and other furniture are being spaced to maintain social distancing in classrooms and other areas, and frequent cleaning protocols are being implemented in every room. Water fountains are being replaced with water bottle filling stations.
KERNERSVILLE — Members of Bishop McGuinness High School’s aviation club recently visited the local airport to check out the planes and learn more about aviation from people who work in the industry. Next year, the school plans to offer an aviation class.
— Photo via Facebook