RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has rejected a plan from state lawmakers that would compel districts to reopen schools with at least some in-person learning in about two weeks. Cooper says he worries the proposal wouldn’t ensure proper safety standards and would not give local school officials the flexibility they need to open or close based on levels of COVID-19 spread in the community. The plan introduced by Republican state lawmakers could still become law if enough of the handful of Democrats who supported the bill decide to override the governor’s veto. Cooper has urged school boards to move to get kids back into the classroom but said he does not want to mandate the reopening.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.