As Hurricane Florence flood waters continue to recede, thousands of students are still out of school in North Carolina. Estimates show this storm caused three times as much damage to the state’s schools as Hurricane Matthew in 2016. WUNC education policy reporter Liz Schlemmer joins host Frank Stasio to talk about how legislation will impact North Carolina’s schools still recovering from Hurricane Florence.
On Wednesday, the Department of Public Instruction said Florence cost school districts an estimated $40 million, mostly in flooding damage, mold, and mildew. In Tuesday’s special session, state lawmakers passed a bill giving schools flexibility in how they make up the days missed because of the hurricane. The North Carolina General Assembly also appropriated funds to pay school employees as though they worked during the storm.
Host Frank Stasio talks to WUNC education policy reporter Liz Schlemmer about how this legislation will impact North Carolina’s schools. Schlemmer also shares her experience visiting a school in New Hanover County in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
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