More RCS students to returning to the classroom for final 9 weeks

ROCKINGHAM — For the final nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year, 55% of Richmond County Schools students will be enrolled in face-to-face learning.

That percentage represents 4,032 students out of a total 7,354 students for the school system. On Thursday, the Richmond County Board of Education approved a plan that would bring all students the opportunity to attend school in-person four days a week beginning April 12.

However, disparities exist between the number of elementary, middle and high school students who want to be in the classroom. RCS conducted a survey of families of middle and high schools students between March 1 and March 15 to determine how many students would decide be physically inside the school for the remainder of the academic year.

Elementary schools will all have roughly 70% of students returning to face-to-face (F2F) learning. Washington Street is the lowest at 65% of their students in F2F learning, while East Rockingham, LJ Bell and Mineral Springs are at 75%. These numbers have been roughly consistent in 2021.

“Our middle schools, overall, have seen an increase [of students in F2F learning],” said Dr. Kate Smith, executive director of curriculum and instruction. “Those numbers have gone up and we are happy to see that.”

Ellerbe Middle has the lowest percentage of F2F learning students at 44%. Cordova Middle is the highest at 55%.

Smith said that the high schools have also seen an increase. They also have the most differences between them.

Ashley Chapel Education Center has 38 students attending in-person, for 45% of its population. The Ninth Grade Academy will have 189 students in-person, for 45% of its population.

REaCH will have 206 students students attending in-person, for 73% of its population. Richmond Senior High School will have 310 students attending in-person, for 24% of its population.

At the board meeting, members expressed concern that only 24% of student at RSHS wanted to return to the classroom.