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Online learning with my school teacher

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board held an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss plans of going all-virtual until Feb. 15.

What came out of the deliberations was a 8-1 vote to stay with the district’s current format. Under the current set of guidelines, middle and high school students would return to class on Feb. 22. with teachers coming back days before to prep for in-person instruction.

Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris sent out recommendations for full remote learning until Feb. 2, which is when CMS’ Board will reevaluate the situation. The Board also ruled that no extracurricular activities will be a possibility until Feb. 15 at the earliest.

“Unfortunately, with the current situation we have in our community, people are being exposed outside of the school system and have the ability to bring this virus into the schools,” Harris said.

CMS Board member Rhonda Cheek joined WBT’s Bo Thompson Morning Show to discuss the emergency meeting. She brought up a clear contradiction with the guidelines being imposed by state officials that allow bars and restaurants to remain open, but schools to be shut down entirely.

“I have had a lot of apprehension over the last two weeks because of the rising numbers in our county,” Cheek said. “And let me preface that to say, I don’t think being in-person in school or staying remote is going to make the numbers better. But, it does give me pause because I kinda believe the science.

“I believe what Dr. Fauci says. And Fauci, he talks about when community spread is over 12 % that it may not be a good idea to be in school. But, of course, he does say we should close the bars and other stuff first before we go to school.

“I’ve been struggling the past two weeks seeing the prevalence of the disease in our community.”

The rate of positive COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg county is astounding 16% currently.

Listen to the entire interview with Rhonda Cheek below.