Group assignments will be first developed to place siblings who live in the same household in the same groups and organized by bus transportation patterns. After that, schools will complete the group assignments with the remaining students assigned to their school. One of the factors schools will be considering is the academic needs of their students.  Due to the complexity of developing group assignments, requests cannot be honored.

Students who live in the same household are identified in our student information system as siblings and will be assigned to the same group. Contact the data manager at your child's school if there are siblings living at different addresses, or if there are students in a blended family at the same address.

Middle and high schools face significantly greater challenges in scheduling classes for students than in pre-pandemic times. They will need to know who is attending their schools, whether they are attending in person or registered in the WCPSS Virtual Academy, and what courses those students will need as early as possible to ensure a successful scheduling effort.

All K-12 students in WCPSS may register for the WCPSS Virtual Academy, including students with IEPs. Please review information on the WCPSS Virtual Academy website to determine if this is a good choice for your student. If questions or concerns arise regarding the implementation of the IEP, an IEP team may convene to discuss goal implementation in the virtual learning environment.

Yes, families should still register for the WCPSS Virtual Academy to maintain continuity of a fully online learning environment regardless of any decisions made by the state or district to move to in-person learning throughout the school year. 

We have no way of predicting when the state may need to make decisions regarding when school districts are operating under Plans A, B, or C due to health concerns. The WCPSS Virtual Academy provides families with the continuity of a fully online learning environment.

Students enrolled for the Fall only will have the option to apply to continue in the WCPSS Virtual Academy in the Spring. The registration windows will be announced soon.

The recommendation is that students registered in the WCPSS Virtual Academy should remain for the duration of the semester or year.

Students may transfer in or out of the WCPSS Virtual Academy only when there are extenuating circumstances. Such transfers should be rare.

Limiting transfers for the remainder of the first semester is necessary to protect existing school schedules.  Due to class size limits, which apply even during remote instruction, large-scale changes made outside of the registration window forces schools to redraw class rosters and schedules for everyone. Principals will consider these and other factors when making decisions regarding transfers outside of the semester change.

The WCPSS Virtual Academy calendar will align with each school’s calendar: 

• For traditional calendar schools, the WCPSS Virtual Academy program students will be on a traditional calendar.
• For year-round calendar schools, the WCPSS Virtual Academy program students will be on the Single Track 4 calendar.
• For modified calendar schools, the WCPSS Virtual Academy program students will be on the modified calendar.

Parents and students can expect that students will have some learning experiences for which they will need to be in attendance and attentive during specific hours of the day. Students will receive approximately 5-6 hours of instruction and/or instructional activities per day, with at least 2-3 hours of live instruction per day. Times may increase beyond the baseline based on teacher planning.

Students will also have flexibility to work at their own pace and schedule over the course of the day depending on family needs. Consistent daily schedules will include online instruction that will be a combination of live and recorded sessions. In addition there will be device-free breaks and flexible times for students to meet virtually in smaller groups built into the schedule. Social and emotional wellness will be taken into consideration in scheduling. Our intent is to align the WCPSS Virtual Academy student experience with the online instruction experience of students who are participating in person.

All K-8 core courses and all high school courses required for graduation will be offered. Because course offerings for the WCPSS Virtual Academy will be built based on the needs of students who register (what courses they have registered for) and the availability of teachers, it is difficult to definitively identify exactly which specific courses will be available at this point. The intent will be to make every effort to ensure that there is a baseline menu of both core and elective course offerings across multiple content areas.

Many - if not all - will be, depending upon the level of interest and staffing. In some cases, students will have access to these courses offered by teachers from their own schools. In other cases, students might be grouped with students from one or more partner schools.

The amount of time a student will spend in front of a device will depend on the age of the student and which courses they are taking. There will be ample time for independent learning activities and breaks, including lunch and time for physical and other activities, built into the schedule.

Students will need varying levels of support in online instruction. Typically, younger students need closer supervision and assistance. This might come from a parent, guardian, grandparent, older sibling or other members of a child’s support system. We will work with families to ensure that they have the support they need for a successful experience.

There will be a combination of actual live sessions and recorded sessions. There also will be opportunities for independent practices and activities that are not completed using a device. These will be based on a number of factors, including subject area, age/grade level and more.

Students must have already been issued a WCPSS device or have their own personal device in order to register for the WCPSS Virtual Academy for spring semester.

Yes. Any specialized services (IEPs, LEP, ESL, 504, Intervention and AIG) will be implemented by qualified staff at the student’s current school. This includes students participating virtually.

No. The commitment to register in the WCPSS Virtual Academy does not extend beyond the 2020-2021 school year.

Students may transfer in or out of the WCPSS Virtual Academy only when there are extenuating circumstances. Such transfers should be rare.

Limiting transfers for the remainder of the first semester is necessary to protect existing school schedules.  Due to class size limits, which apply even during remote instruction, large-scale changes made outside of the registration window forces schools to redraw class rosters and schedules for everyone. Principals will consider these and other factors when making decisions regarding transfers outside of the semester change.

No. Students remain enrolled in their current school, including magnet schools, for the 2020-2021 school year. This also applies to a student attending on a transfer or calendar option.

For Pre-K, online learning will be offered under limited circumstances, such as for high-risk students and families or during necessary quarantine periods.  The district is required to follow guidance which states that remote learning for pre-k should be an option of last resort and used as sparingly as possible. Contact your child’s teacher if you have questions regarding this option.

Yes, students may participate in athletics and student activities that are available given social distancing guidelines.

For any student who does not choose to participate in WCPSS Virtual Academy, they will by default participate in instruction through the learning environment established by the district based on state guidance.

If families do not choose WCPSS Virtual Academy now, they can request to change their learning environment at the start of the spring semester. Spring semester enrollment will be based on availability and other factors as circumstances continue to evolve.

Yes, face coverings are required for all students inside school buildings and anywhere on school grounds, including outside. They are required while traveling on buses, vendor transportation or other WCPSS vehicles. They are also required when 6 feet or more apart from other individuals. Students will be allowed to remove them only when eating, drinking, or during a scheduled ‘face covering break’. Students who require medical accommodations should speak with their school.

Yes. Your child’s face covering must:

• Fit snugly against the sides of your face
• Be reasonably comfortable
• Allow them to breathe easily
• Be secured safely over nose, mouth and under your chin
• Be changed if it becomes soiled or wet

View the CDC’s website: How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask for more information.

Gaiters can be considered if they are designed to secure safely over their nose, mouth and under their chin. Note that the CDC guidance states that evaluation of gaiters is ongoing.

No. The CDC advises that masks with exhalation valves or vents should not be worn to help prevent the person wearing the mask from spreading COVID-19 to others.

No. The CDC does not recommend use of face shields as a substitute for masks because of a lack of evidence of their effectiveness.

It is understandable that some children may struggle with wearing a face covering at first. That’s why it’s critically important that you practice wearing the face covering at home to help your child get used to it. To help them get comfortable, try putting a cloth face covering on a favorite stuffed animal or show your child pictures of other children wearing them. You can include your child in the selection of their mask. Finally, try using behavioral techniques such as positive reinforcement to increase the likelihood that children will comply with mask guidance and other prevention practices.

Review these instructions from NCDHHS on how to adjust the fit of face coverings, as needed, for students or adults.

We’ve developed these two ‘social stories’ to explain why it’s important to wear a face covering. 

• Face Covering social story for younger students
• Face Covering social story for special education students 

Parents of a student with a life-threatening allergy should provide the school with documentation from a licensed healthcare provider. This information should include the specific allergy and medical requirements needed for the student. Staff will work in partnership with the parents to develop a medical plan. 

If it is determined that students must eat meals in the classroom:

• Students and staff are expected to clean up after themselves by placing all trash and recyclables in the bins placed in the hallways. Bins will be located near multiple classrooms.  
• Custodial Services will collect the bins after the lunch period ends and will empty them into the dumpster.
• Custodial Services will spot sweep and mop during lunch as needed to clean up spills.
• Classrooms and hallways will be swept and cleaned in the evening as part of the cleaning and disinfection process.

We have not received additional funding to hire additional custodians. Custodial Services are required to clean and disinfect school buildings every day in accordance with established protocols, and we are committed to ensuring that takes place.

Custodians are required to submit documentation of their completed work to their supervisor daily. You may submit a public records request for this documentation.

These are the primary products used in our schools at this time. These products are subject to change based on availability. Manufacturer guidelines for safe use of these products are required to be followed at all times.

Virex Plus - Custodians use this EPA-certified product to disinfect restrooms, classrooms, and other high-occupancy areas.

Oxivir-TB and GE Fight Bac RTU - All staff may use these products to disinfect touchpoints.

PERdiem - Custodians use this product to clean floors and surfaces that are not touch points or work surfaces.

Isopropyl alcohol cleaning wipes - These consist of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol and 30% Deionized Water. All staff may use them to clean technology devices.

Bus drivers will disinfect touchpoints between routes and at the end of the day.

Share any concerns you may have with your school’s principal.

Teachers and custodial staff will share the responsibility of maintaining a clean classroom. Teachers will be provided cleaning supplies to clean classrooms throughout the day as needed. Custodians will clean the classrooms after school. This, as with every other aspect of the pandemic response, will impact instructional time. 

All systems are designed in accordance with the NC mechanical code and ASHRAE recommendations. All have 4-6 air changes per hour. Systems are controlled automatically. Filters are monitored and changed when dirty. We are in the process of evaluating the feasibility and cost of installing different filters.

Students can return to school once they meet the criteria outlined here: wcpss.net/domain/17057

If a student experiencing a symptom associated with COVID-19, they may return to school when they (or their parent on their behalf) can answer YES TO ALL three questions:

1. Has it been at least 10 days since you first had symptoms?
AND
2. Has it been at least 24 hours since you had a fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine?)
AND
3. Have your symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath?

If the student has a negative rapid antigen test, they must stay home until they receive a follow-up negative PCR test, have no fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND they have felt well for 24 hours.

If the student has a negative PCR COVID-19 test, they must stay home until they have no fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medicine) AND they have felt well for 24 hours.

If the student has a confirmed diagnosis other than COVID-19 (like a stomach virus, ear infection, etc.) from a healthcare professional to explain the COVID-19-like symptoms, they must stay home until they have no fever for 24 hours.

Following NC DHHS guidelines, areas used by the infected individual will be temporarily closed until they have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Our disinfectant is EPA-approved for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

NC DHHS does not require or recommend for schools to close as a result of a student or employee testing positive for COVID-19. Wake County Public Health will determine through contact tracing who, if anyone, will need to quarantine. Wake County Public Health will instruct WCPSS to close a facility, if needed.

Yes. However, until further notice, staff will need to set up a MySchoolBucks account to eliminate any cash transactions. 

Children may still bring their own meals from home. However, we strongly suggest that parents take advantage of meals being provided at no cost during the 2020-2021 school year. View more information regarding special diet accommodations.

The USDA has extended flexibilities to provide free meals through June 30, 2021.

Meal pickup times depend on the location. Visit wcpss.net/food to confirm your location's pickup time.