Wake year-round schools will now close for March 3 primary election in NC

A last-minute schedule change means Wake County’s year-round schools won’t be in session when thousands of voters show up to vote in the March primary election.

The Wake County school board voted Tuesday to revise the calendars to close schools on March 3 for the district’s multi-track year-round schools and single track year-round schools. Wake already had scheduled March 3 as a day off for students on the other calendars due to so many schools serving as polling sites.

It will still be a day of work for teachers at year-round schools.

School board chair Tyler Swanson said they want the year-round schools to be consistent with the other calendars. He also said they recognize the safety concerns that some parents have about students being on campus when voters are present.

Many schools serve as polling sites

More than 80 Wake schools — including many elementary schools — serve as polling sites in some years.

Under state law, local elections boards can demand that any state, county or municipal building — such as a public school — be used as a polling site. Elections officials only need permission to use churches and privately owned facilities.

The district has historically delayed the start of school or not held classes in November on Election Day due to the high voter turnout. But in recent years, Wake has been not scheduling classes during primary elections.

This year’s primary ballot includes races for U.S. Senate, N.C. Court of Appeals, General Assembly, Wake County Board of Commissioners and municipal races.

Students won’t have to make up the day

Wake will use “banked” instructional time so year-round students won’t have to make up classes missed on March 3.

All Wake schools have more than the minimum of 1,025 instructional hours required each school year under state law. Schools can use the banked time so they don’t need to make up a handful of days when schools are closed for bad weather or other unique circumstances.

Wake’s year-round schools are using banked time to cover two days where schools were closed in December due to threats of wintry weather.

Wake’s year-round schools have historically had Saturday classes when they run out of banked time. But district staff said they can consider other options now, such as using up to five days of remote learning.