Portal Access Troubles Mark 1st Day Of N.C. Public Schools

North Carolina’s public schools have returned to class with most students still learning at home to start the year due to continued worries about COVID-19. Nearly all schools in K-12 districts began classes on Monday. Districts and charter schools that teach about two-thirds of the 1.5 million students chose full-time remote learning for now. The first day was marked initially by problems entering an online portal to access several digital applications for students and teachers. The Department of Public Instruction said it was back up later in the day. School buildings were shuttered in March amid the pandemic and never reopened this past year.