This story has been updated
Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday signed into law Senate Bill 220 requiring school districts to offer in-person instruction to K-12 students.
SB 220 (The Reopen Our Schools Act of 2021) was introduced by Republican and Democratic lawmakers Wednesday as a compromise to what had become a contentious, partisan disagreement over when and how to reopen schools for in-person instruction.
“Getting students back into the classroom safely is a shared priority, and this agreement will move more students to in-person instruction while retaining the ability to respond to local emergencies,” Cooper said in a statement late Thursday.
The law requires districts to provide in-person instruction for students in grades K-5 under the state’s Plan A, requiring minimal social distancing.