All SC public school reopening plans have been approved, state officials say
South Carolina has approved the remaining 14 school district reopening plans, officials announced Monday.
The largest of those districts waiting for approval was Richland 2, which teaches more than 27,000 students in northeast Richland County, according to its website.
Richland 2, the largest school district in the Midlands, is offering students and parents both a virtual-only option and an option to phase-in in-person learning. One of the conditions for the department accepting Richland 2’s plan requires the district and the education department to reexamine the district’s reopening plan for in-person learning every two weeks starting on the first day of school, Aug. 31, according to a news release.
“With reopening plans now approved, I am asking every South Carolinian to support their local school in the reopening process,” S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said in a statement. “Whether it is driving a neighbor’s child to school, providing temporary child care, supporting an educator, or simply wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing, every person in our state can help us get back to full face to face instruction as quickly and safely as possible.”
Though S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster had called for all schools to offer a five-day, in-person education option alongside a virtual option for all students, that guidance is not mandatory. The S.C. Department of Education’s criteria for approval include allowing parents to have a virtual-only school option and an in-person option, though the in-person education may be phased in depending on coronavirus spread.
Even for schools beginning their school year online, schools are required to hold five days of in-person LEAP days for elementary and middle school students in order to receive funding from the state, according to a previous article from The State.
The following school district reopening plans have been approved:
- Blackville-Hilda Public Schools (Barnwell 19)
- Charter Institute at Erskine
- Chester County School District
- Clarendon School District Two
- Colleton County School District
- Fairfield County School District
- Florence County School District 2
- Florence County School District 3
- Ware Shoals School District 51 (Greenwood 51)
- Greenwood County School District 52
- Horry County Schools
- Richland School District Two
- S.C. Public Charter School District
- Sumter School District
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 3:09 PM.