Update: This map was updated 4/29/26 and again on 4/30/26 to reflect the most recent closure announcements as well as Wake County's move to remote for previously-open programs.
School district leaders across North Carolina faced a dilemma this week: thousands of teachers and staff made leave requests for Friday to attend a Raleigh rally calling for more funding in education. In places where requests exceed available substitutes, district leaders had to decide whether to close schools.
NC Local reached out to all 115 public school districts across the state about their status on Friday. Here's a map of the confirmed closures.
School districts that are closed or operating remotely on Friday, May 1, 2026.
| ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON SCHOOLS | FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| ASHEBORO CITY SCHOOLS | GASTON COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS | GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| BERTIE COUNTY SCHOOLS | HOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| BRUNSWICK COUNTY SCHOOLS | KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOLS |
| BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS | MOORESVILLE CITY SCHOOLS |
| CABARRUS COUNTY SCHOOLS | ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS | PERQUIMANS COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS | PITT COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS | ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| CURRITUCK COUNTY SCHOOLS | THOMASVILLE CITY SCHOOLS |
| DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS | WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS |
| EDGECOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS | WHITEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS |
The state's second-largest district, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, held an emergency meeting to declare May 1 a workday after more than 4,000 personnel requested leave. The system employees about 9,400 teachers and almost 2,000 teaching assistants, according to state data.
Some districts, like Currituck County Schools and Perquimans County Schools, had a teacher workday for May 1 before rally plans were announced. Wake County Schools, the state's largest district, also had a workday planned before the event announcement. Some programs, like year-round and early college, were going to be open, but district leaders announced a move to remote learning on Thursday.
One district, Forsyth County Schools, is holding a remote learning day after more than 900 staff requested the day off.
The closures also create issues families who must now find child care with students out of school.
Guilford County School Board Member Linda Welborn voted against making May 1 a teacher workday there, citing concerns about challenges families may face with a closure.
"There are parents that need to go work. We've got people that need food. Students need to be fed," she said. "For me, I support y'all 100 ways, but I'm not willing to step up to a teacher workday."
The board approved the closure for Guilford County Schools, the state's third-largest system.
Rally in Raleigh
"The Kids Over Corporations" rally is expected to draw thousands of school staff to the state capital to advocate for more funding for education across North Carolina.
The state has more than 90,000 teachers and more than 20,000 teaching assistants.
Organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators, the state's teachers union, the event aims to pressure lawmakers to increase education spending. The list of demands calls for an end to private school vouchers and funding of "at least $20,000 per student by 2030." NCAE also called for an end to corporate tax breaks.
Friday's plans include a rally at 11 a.m. followed by a march at noon and regional meetings at 1:30 p.m.
This article first appeared on NCLocal and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.