Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will remain closed to students until May 15, under a new executive order from Governor Roy Cooper extending the previous statewide school closure in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.

In a news conference Monday, Cooper said the measures were necessary to for public health and to promote safety.

“Many of you (parents) have become homeschool teachers in the past week, and I know that this is extremely difficult,” Cooper said. “But this is what we need to do.”

The spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has upended public education in North Carolina and within CMS for students, families and employees. Teachers have been instructed to prepare for remote learning, surveying students about their access to internet at home and handing out internet hotspots to those who need them.

About 70 CMS campuses have converted themselves into meal distribution centers, feeding kids during the closure who may not have stable access to food at home.

Meanwhile, high school students in advanced classes, which often grant college credit, will face numerous changes. Advanced Placement courses will be taken from home, the College Board said. The International Baccalaureate Organization announced Monday it would not administer its exams this spring, instead awarding diplomas based on students’ coursework. The program is offered in five CMS high schools.

Last week, CMS asked state officials to take “unprecedented” measures to adjust to the new reality, including waiving standardized tests and instructional hours requirements, in addition to authorization to give emergency leave pay to employees whose jobs cannot be done remotely.

On Monday, it seemed that some of those requests were on their way to being fulfilled. The State Board of Education voted to seek a federal waiver for end-of-grade and end-of-course exams. The state board will also ask the General Assembly to vote on waiving the exams, as they are required under state law and used as metrics for bonus pay, teacher evaluations and school letter grades.

But one remaining question is what will happen to the thousands of hourly employees who work in CMS, from teachers aides to janitors to bus drivers, who often work jobs that cannot be performed remotely.

In its letter to state leadership last week, CMS asked for the ability to grant emergency leave pay to employees, regardless of their ability to work remotely. At Monday’s news announcement, state board of education vice chair Alan Duncan advised local school districts to keep assigning duties to hourly employees so they could keep working.

Duncan said that more guidance on employees and pay will be forthcoming from the state, and emphasized that districts should pursue remote work where possible.

Cooper said that he was working with the budget office and the state superintendent to make sure all school employees are paid during the duration of the closure.

As of Monday morning, North Carolina had 297 confirmed cases of COVID-19. In Mecklenburg County, 97 people have tested positive for coronavirus.