CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted to amend the academic calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.

Students were originally scheduled to return on August 31, but that date has been moved up to August 17.

Officials say this is due to a law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, which requires public schools to reopen on August 17 and close before Memorial Day 2021.

With schools reopening prior to the Republican National Convention, scheduled for August 24-27 in Charlotte, CMS says it will use the five state required remote learning days during that week.

"The amended calendar for next school year has several aspects that will be good for students and families," the board's chair, Elyse Dashew says. "We'll have first-semester exams before the winter break and school finished by Memorial Day."

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