CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AT A HIGH STAKES MEETING TODAY, IT IS 6:00 HERE ON YOUR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH US SO EARLY. I’M JACKIE PASCAL AND I’M AUDREY AUDREY BIESK. WE SAY HELLO TO METEOROLOGIST BRIAN SLOCUM STANDING BY. WE ARE REALLY WRAPPING UP THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ON A MILD NOTE. YEAH, REALLY ON A COUPLE DAYS LEFT TO GO, THURSDAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH THAT FEELS MORE LIKE MARCH OR APRIL OUT THERE THIS MORNING. WE HAVE TEMPERATURES THAT ARE IN THE 40S AND LOWER 50S. PART OF THE WEATHER STORY DOESN’T INCLUDE THE FACT THAT YOU LIKELY WON’T NEED A HEAVY JACKET AT ALL. TODAY. AND REALLY, FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT YOU WILL NEED SOMETHING TO HELP KEEP YOU DRY ONCE THE RAIN BEGINS. AND AT LEAST AT CLOUD LEVEL, WE’RE STARTING TO SEE A FEW SHOWERS FILLING IN THE AIR IS STILL A TAD DRY, SO I DON’T THINK THIS ENTIRE AREA OF RAIN IS GOING TO REACH THE GROUND WHERE YOU SEE THE DEEPER BLUES, THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE COMING. CUTTING THROUGH PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN DAVIE COUNTY INTO DAVIDSON COUNTY. FIRST THING THIS MORNING, WE’LL CHECK IN WITH RADAR THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. GIVE. YOU A BETTER IDEA NEAR GROUND LEVEL OF WHERE THE RAIN IS REACHING THE GROUND. BUT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT ON THE DAMP SIDE MORNING COMMUTE WISE FOR A FEW FOLKS. I DON’T THINK THAT’S GOING TO AFFECT A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DISTURBANCES THAT WILL TRACK THROUGH THE FLOW. THAT COULD SET OFF SOME LIGHTER, NOT ONLY LIGHTER, BUT MODERATE POCKETS OF RAIN ACROSS OUR AREA TODAY. SO WHAT TO WEAR? IT WILL BE COOL THIS MORNING, BUT NOT TERRIBLY COLD. WE’LL START OUT WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S. HIGHS ARE BACK IN THE 60S. IT WON’T BE QUITE AS WARM AS THE 70 WE PUT UP AT PTI AIRPORT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES HELD DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE CLOUDS AND RAIN. BUT WE ARE STILL ABOUT FIVE OR SO FIVE, SIX, SEVEN DEGREES WARMER THAN AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THIS EVENING OUR SHOWERS TAPER WILL KEEP SPOTTY RAIN AROUND THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT, AND IT STAYS RELATIVELY MILD. WE’RE EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO STAY IN THE 50S FOR MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT, SETTING UP A WARM AND WINDY WEDNESDAY EVEN TODAY, THE BREEZES COULD BE GUSTING INTO THE 20S TODAY, SO SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU’RE GETTING READY FOR WORK OR SCHOOL. WE’LL TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK’S FORECAST COMING UP IN JUST A BIT. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I’M ADRIANNA HARGROVE WITH A LOOK AT YOUR TRAFFIC ALL MORNING. WELL, I DO HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU. THERE IS A CRASH RIGHT HERE IN WINSTON-SALEM. THIS JUST CAME IN AT 553. IT’S ALONG I-40. TWO LANES ARE CLOSED DUE TO A CRASH ON I-40 EASTBOUND BEFORE EXIT ONE. 88, US 421, EXIT 238. SO IF YOU’RE IN THAT AREA, DEFINITELY USE CAUTION. THERE’S SOME SLOWDOWNS AND SOME STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. NOW LET’S TAKE AN ACTUAL LOOK OUT THERE. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT I-40 AT RANDLEMAN ROAD IN GREENSBORO. ALONG THAT PARTICULAR STRETCH, TRAFFIC IS LOOKING GOOD. SO IF YOU’RE IN THAT AREA, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. HAPPY HAVE TO EXCUSE ME. HAVE A HAPPY TUESDAY. NOW TO ALAMANCE COUNTY, WHERE THE FUTURE OF A VIRTUAL SCHOOL PROGRAM REMAINS UNKNOWN. YESTERDAY, MEMBERS OF THE ALAMANCE BURLINGTON BOARD OF EDUCATION HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THIS NEW BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WAS SENT OUT BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM LAST WEEK. IT PROPOSES TO CLOSE THE ALAMANCE VIRTUAL SCHOOL SO THE DISTRICT CAN USE ITS FUNDS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. IT’S BEEN DEPLETED BY MOLD REMEDIATION AND WATER PROBLEMS IN SOME SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS RISING UTILITY COSTS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS. FAMILIES IMMEDIATELY SPOKE AGAINST CLOSING THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL. YOU’RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY A SAFE PLACE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN. SOME CHILDREN CHOSE THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY’RE AFRAID TO STEP FOOT INTO A REGULAR SCHOOL SETTING. BOARD MEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMMUNITY’S CONCERNS AND FRUSTRATION, WITH BOARD MEMBER DAN ENGEL OPPOSED LYING TO PARENTS DIRECTLY. LISTEN, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO EVERY PARENT, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY TEACHER. THIS BOARD HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT LETTER THAT WENT OUT TO NONE WHATSOEVER. AND I’M JUST TELLING YOU THAT RIGHT NOW. SO PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY AS THE BUDGET YEAR CONCLUDES AND PLANNING FOR THE NEXT YEAR BEGINS, THE DISTRICT SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE ITS HIRING FREEZE, EXPENDITURE DEADLINES AND LIMIT NONFEDERAL TRAVEL. THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM AND STAFF POSITIONS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. THE BOARD SAYS IT WILL EXPLORE ALL AVENUES TO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OF ABS, AS ITS NEXT WORK SESSION IS ON MARCH 12TH. THE BOARD WOULD THEN VOTE ON APPROVING THE FUNDING REQUEST ON MARCH 25TH. THE COUNTY MANAGER IS EXPECTED TO PRESENT A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION ON MAY 20TH, AHEAD OF A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 3RD, AND THEN THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT A BUDGET. ON JUNE 17TH, COVERING OUR STATE CAPITOL, NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LEADERS WANT TO CHANGE HOW SCHOOLS ARE BEING GRADED. THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS THE CURRENT SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY. SYSTEM IS BROKEN CURRENTLY, THE STATE’S PERFORMANCE GRADING PROCESS DOES NOT SHARE GRADUATION RATES, ATTENDANCE RECORDS, TEACHER SATISFACTION, SATISFACTION, OR WHAT CLASSES THEY OFFER. THE NEW PROPOSED MODEL AIMS TO TELL PARENTS AND THE PUBLIC MORE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF EACH SCHOOL AND HOW IT’S PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION, RATH