In its second emergency meeting about COVID-19 (coronavirus) in four days, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted to restore the district school calendar to its original form and approved the superintendent's plan for distance learning for students, and remote and alternative work for employees.

On March 13, the Board voted in an emergency meeting to move spring break up into March from its scheduled time in April. The change was intended to allow the district to keep students safely out of school without sacrificing required instructional hours. However, on March 14, Gov. Roy Cooper announced all public schools statewide would be closed until March 30, making the change to the CMS calendar unnecessary.

"We are in a very fluid, very fast-moving health crisis," said Elyse Dashew, chairperson of the Board of Education. "We hope that returning to the original academic calendar will provide a sense of stability in these uncertain times. However, we must all be prepared for the real possibility that our lives will not be back to normal by April. It is possible that schools will be closed much longer than two weeks."

Dashew said the Board would continue to work closely with state and local officials in government, emergency management and healthcare to keep students and employees safe.