Statewide, the poll showed that a significant number of Latino and Black parents — populations that have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic — did not feel their children were safe from COVID-19 at schools.

Educators must embed mental health into every aspect of the school day to meet student social-emotional needs that have been intensified by the pandemic.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services no longer recommends contact tracing or quarantines for students who test negative, even if they've been exposed to a positive COVID case.