CHARLOTTE — COVID-19 cases are popping up in more schools and that has some parents keeping their kids at home. But despite remote learning, some of those students are still being marked absent.
Parent Kimberly Hollenbeck contacted our education reporter Elsa Gillis. She said that after she got a notification about a positive COVID-19 case at her child’s school, she kept them home to learn remotely.
[WSOC SPECIAL SECTION: RETURN TO LEARNING]
But on Monday, the school marked the children absent, even though they logged on for a full day of virtual instruction.
“I let the teachers know, and I got a response back saying even if they were in class via remote learning, they would be marked absent because they were not in class,” Hollenbeck said. “You send out this communication and then penalize us for, as parents, doing what we need to do to protect our children -- to keep them safe and healthy. Not only that, I have elder parents. It’s not right, it’s not fair. This whole situation is already hard enough.”
Channel 9 reached out to CMS leaders but still have not heard back from the district about its policy on this.
We also asked other districts what their rules are.
In Union County, if they signed up for Plan A, which is in-school four days a week, they are expected to attend school in person. Students who do not attend are marked absent. The absence may be excused with documentation from the parent when the child returns.
In Cabarrus County, families who have selected Plan B, the combo of in-person and remote learning, may not choose to work remotely on an assigned in-person day.
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