Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Dr. Pam Baldwin has been placed on medical leave from the school system.
According to an email sent to CHCCS parents from the superintendent on Wednesday, Baldwin will be away on medical leave effective immediately. She wrote to parents saying Assistant Superintendent Patrick Abele will serve as the acting superintendent during her absence.
“Despite our best intentions,” read Baldwin’s email, “sometimes life gets in the way and modifies our plans, our calendars, our goals and our aspirations. I have been reminded of that again recently as I met with my doctor.”
Online instruction for the school system will begin on Monday, March 30, after CHCCS canceled classes and shifted its spring break due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Baldwin said in her email while this next stretch of remote teaching presents a new chapter and challenges for the community, she believes the students, parents and teachers are all up for the task.
“I offer you encouragement as we continue working together to take care of the children in our community and one another,” she wrote.
The initial period of online instruction for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools was slated to last until Monday, April 6. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order this week requiring schools to hold exclusively online instruction until at least May 15 in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Photo via WTOC.
Note: 97.9 The Hill has been Chapel Hill and Orange County’s daily source for free local news since 1953. Please consider making a donation to continue supporting important local journalism like this.
Related Stories
‹

CHCCS Financial Review Finds Several Contracts That Violate Board PolicyA financial review of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district spending and contract procedures found several violations or deviations from system policies occurred in the last five years. Ahead of a specially-called school board meeting to discuss the review, CHCCS provided the full examination on its website, which was contracted by its Board of Education on […]

Emails Show Effort From CHCCS Leadership to Keep $767K Contract From School BoardRecently reviewed discussions between CHCCS district leadership and Education Elements revealed new details regarding a $767,067 partnership between the two organizations. Leadership for the school district said Education Elements helped create a framework to help CHCCS adopt a personalized learning model. Superintendent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Pam Baldwin told 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck […]

CHCCS Receives Grant To Promote Racial Equity WorkChapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools announced Monday the district received a grant to support work addressing the racial equity gap in school systems. The Trustees of Oak Foundation approved the request of $4.3 million over three years to the CHCCS system and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation for the Students First: Equity Through Opportunity grant. […]

Scholarship Fund Established for Slain Former Carrboro High School CoachThe family of former Carrboro High School girls’ basketball coach and teacher Sheremy Dillard is setting up a memorial fund in her honor. Dillard was found stabbed to death in her Raleigh home Aug. 13. Her boyfriend, 60-year-old Rickey Harper, has since been charged with murder. Dillard had coached at Carrboro High from the time […]

Missed Assignments, Delays and Walk Zone Changes: School Bus Issues Roil CHCCS' First Days BackCHCCS Superintendent Rodney Trice issued an apology letter to families on Tuesday, acknowledging problems with its bus service to students.

As Final Year Begins, Glenwood Elementary Families Feeling 'Powerless' After Closure and Program VotesMonday's first day of class is bittersweet for Glenwood Elementary School families, who feel hurt by CHCCS leaders' decision to close its campus and change its program.
![]()
On Air Today: The 2026 Teacher Supply StoreTwo representatives of the Public School Foundation discuss this year's Teacher Supply Store, providing school supplies to CHCCS teachers.
![]()
The Morning News: Rani Dasi, Faith Hedgepeth, and Bobby PetrinoIn today's news: Rani Dasi discusses her impending move from the CHCCS school board to the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
![]()
Glenwood Elementary School Parents on Their Concerns, the District's Presentation and Local Reaction to Closure – On Air Today (July 27, 2026)Glenwood Elementary School parents Yehua Wei, Kayan Cheung-Miaw and Alex Jackson speak with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Monday, July 27.
![]()
The Morning News: Rani Dasi to County Commissioner, Mandarin Dual Language at CHCCSIn today's news: CHCCS board member Rani Dasi is nominated for an open seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
›