CMS extends remote academy registration deadline amid concern from principals and parents

Families who missed the original deadline to sign up for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ remote-only learning plan for the fall semester can do so through Monday by contacting their schools directly, district officials said.

The deadline was extended after principals said they needed some more flexibility to accommodate families who struggled to register during the original window, a district spokeswoman said.

Some parents also experienced difficulties accessing the registration, the district said, and duplicate or incomplete forms required follow-up to make sure the correct enrollments are made.

Parents who wish to enroll their student in the Remote Academy should reach out to their child’s school directly with the request, CMS said. Those who enrolled in the remote option and wish to exit may also contact their schools to do so.

“The extension is meant to provide principals with a means to serve their families as they have received calls and emails from parents seeking relief,” CMS spokesperson Renee McCoy said in an email.

The district said earlier this week that 52,552 students signed up for the district’s remote academy, which is roughly 36% of last year’s total enrollment of 146,887.

Remote academy students will not have to attend the in-person orientation at the start of the school year, and they will remain at home pursuing virtual instruction should the district switch to bringing students back into the classroom. They will maintain their school assignments, and most will be assigned to a teacher from their home school.

Families can exit or enter the remote academy at the end of the first semester, officials said, but they cannot change their placement once classes begin.

Currently, CMS will begin school on Aug. 17 under an option called “Plan B+ remote,” which would begin the semester with two weeks of socially distant, rotational in-person orientation days before moving to remote instruction. The district said the three to four days of face-to-face time each student would have with their teacher would help build a stronger personal connection during virtual learning.

The district may switch back to in-person learning if Mecklenburg County’s coronavirus numbers improve, rotating students in three groups through one week of in-person learning and two weeks of remote instruction. The Charlotte metro area is currently a hotspot, and the county has the highest number of deaths and confirmed cases in the state, with more than 19,000 people testing positive.

The district has yet to publicize what metrics it will use to determine when students will return to in-person learning. Superintendent Earnest Winston said the district was putting together a group of medical professionals to come up with those metrics.

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 3:16 PM.