Proposed bill would forgive missed school days

Sept. 25--WILMINGTON -- Schools in Southeastern North Carolina could be forgiven the nearly three weeks of class missed because of Hurricane Florence -- if the General Assembly approves a proposed disaster relief bill.

At a news conference in Wilmington Monday, Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, and Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, announced they planned to file a disaster relief bill aimed at schools. Among its provisions is a proposal to forgive all canceled school days in counties that were declared disaster areas, including Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties.

Horn, who co-chairs the House standing committee on K-12 education, said legislators expect to go into session this week or next.

"These are just a few of the first steps. We will continue to work on calendar flexibility as we try to work out the needs of the kids to ensure sufficient instructional days," Horn said. "We're working on how this impacts our community college students and our university students. Some of them will not be able to return to school because they've lost everything."

Counties that were not directly hit by Florence but still suffered damage are also likely to get some relief when it comes to making up school days. Horn said those areas could see an arrangement where two to three missed days are excused and alternative instructional time is used to make up the remained.

Lee said the bill also included a provision to ensure teachers and school staff receive pay for time missed due to the storm, without having to use vacation days.

One item not included in the bill is money to repair school buildings damaged by the storm. In New Hanover County Schools, for instance, every one of the district's buildings sustained at least minor damage from flooding or debris.

"Right now on the capital piece, I think it's too early to tell," Lee said. "Those are some of the things we're going to be working on this first short session."

State Superintendent Mark Johnson came to Wilmington on Monday to meet with NHCS Superintendent Tim Markley and several principals. He said this piece of legislation is just a first step on the long road to recovery for Southeastern North Carolina schools.

"Things in Raleigh don't often happen quickly, but we knew we had to act fast for students and teachers affected by the storms," Johnson said.

Horn said legislators have not yet determined how charter schools will be asked to make up days lost due to Hurricane Florence. Because the bill has not been filed, full text of the proposals was not available Monday.

When will schools open?

Brunswick County Schools announced Monday the district would be closed through at least Oct. 5.

NHCS Superintendent Markley has set a tentative school reopening date of Oct. 1, while and Pender schools have not announced tentative dates. School staff in New Hanover and Pender schools were asked to start returning to work this week.

But NHCS spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum said Monday that school officials have not made a final determination about whether schools will be ready to open by Oct. 1.

Hoggard High School, for instance, is still serving as an American Red Cross shelter for people displaced by the storm. And Trask Middle School, which was used as a shelter in the first days of the storm, suffered significant flooding damage. Quattlebaum said senior school staff were meeting Monday afternoon, and hoped to make an announcement about school openings as early as Wednesday.

Brunswick County Schools officials are also working to get classrooms back online, according to spokesman Daniel Seamans.

"Schools are in good shape considering what we just went through," he wrote in an email. "Right now the focus is getting all schools where they need to be to provide a safe learning environment so that we can get students back inside the classrooms."

Pender County Schools officials wrote on Facebook that extensive school damage will require assistance from outside the district.

"We have started working with contractors, insurance agencies, FEMA, etc. to make repairs to approximately 90 percent of all school structures," officials wrote. "We are also attempting to collect information on PCS staff personal losses as many staff members were devastated by the storm and are now displaced."

Reporter Cammie Bellamy can be reached at 910-343-2339 or [email protected].

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