CHARLOTTE, NC — For more than a year, schools around the country have tackled challenges and virtual learning as we have navigated the coronavirus pandemic.

One school in Charlotte had an extra and unique hurdle to face.

What You Need To Know

  • Niner University Elementary School, a new lab school through UNC Charlotte, opened during the pandemic.

  • The school was supposed to open in 2019, but delayed opening to try and increase student enrollment numbers.

  • Teachers and students started the 2020 school year over Zoom, and students entered the classroom for the first time in March 2021.

Niner University Elementary School, a new lab school through UNC Charlotte, opened during the pandemic. The staff and students started virtually, and students stepped through the doors for the first time in March 2021.

Pamela Broome, the school’s principal, says even though most people had to meet on Zoom when everyone came together in person, things felt normal.

“We didn’t know each other when the school year started, and we have built relationships even working remotely for part of the year, and looked at the challenges and been thought-partners together,” Broome said.

Naomi Imoberstag, a first-grade teacher, says she was happy her students didn’t miss a beat and jumped back into the classroom setting.

“I was so happy that those relationships transferred from online to in-person, so we didn’t have to start over,” she says. “We just picked up right where we left off.”

Niner University Elementary is accepting applications for new students and teachers. They are adding a new grade each year until the school reaches fifth grade.