Weather makes multiple Midlands school districts shift plans on Monday classes
Some school districts in the Midlands have announced changes to schedules for Monday with the threat of severe weather in the forecast for the Columbia area of South Carolina.
The primary threat on Monday is damaging winds, with gusts up to 75 miles per hour possible, according to the National Weather Service. Several tornadoes are also possible, and some could be as powerful as an EF2 (111-135 mph) or even stronger, the National Weather Service said.
This threatening weather is expected to have the greatest impact from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., which directly affects class schedules at Midlands schools.
Lexington 3
On Sunday afternoon, Lexington 3 said it will shift to an e-learning day for all district students.
Because of the timing of the announcement, there will be no work for students to do on Monday, district officials said. Instead, students will receive their make-up e-learning assignments on Tuesday.
Students will have the option to complete their e-learning assignments on their own time, but will be due by April 2, officials said.
All after-school events including sports practices and games, meetings, adult education classes are cancelled.
Lexington 1
Lexington 1 also will switch to e-learning on Monday because of the severe weather forecast, district officials said. All after-school events and activities are canceled and campuses are closed for the day.
Employees should work from home, unless notified otherwise by their supervisor.
Ironically, Monday was supposed to be a makeup day for Lexington 1 students to make up the school day missed on Feb. 2, officials said.
Now all students will have five days to complete all e-learning assignments, which can be found online.
Lexington 2
Rather than schedule an e-learning day, officials with Lexington 2 announced that classes will be cancelled Monday as all schools and offices will be closed because of the weather forecast.
All afternoon and evening activities are also canceled on Monday, including athletic events, extracurricular activities, after-school programs, and adult education classes, officials said.
Richland 1
Late Sunday night, Richland 1 officials announced that all district schools and administrative offices will be closed Monday, and it will not be an e-learning day.
All after-school programs, activities and events — including athletics games and practices — are canceled. The Richland One Rising Stars Awards Ceremony that was scheduled for Monday evening at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center also is canceled.
Richland 2
No changes have been made to Monday’s class schedule, but Richland 2 officials said they are still monitoring the forecast. All out-of-district field studies are canceled out of caution.
Sumter schools
On Sunday night, Sumter School District officials said that Monday will be an e-learning day for all students and staff. All schools and district offices will be closed, and all activities — including athletic events and field trips — are canceled. Because Monday will be an approved e-learning day it will not need to be made up.
“The South Carolina Department of Education advises limiting school bus operations when sustained winds exceed 30 miles per hour or when wind gusts exceed 40 miles per hour, as these conditions can significantly affect the safe operation of school buses,” officials said on social media. It also presents challenges for student drivers who might be novices behind the wheel.
Kershaw County
Kershaw County officials said the district is shifting to an e-learning Day Monday, and all school buildings and offices will be closed. All Monday after school activities and sporting events are also cancelled.
Teachers will be working remotely on Monday, and will be available for student questions during their virtual office hours.
Newberry County
The School District of Newberry County will close all schools and offices Monday.
Orangeburg County
Orangeburg County School District will observe an e-learning day. Students should follow the e-learning procedures while all after-school programs, extracurricular activities, athletic practices and games scheduled are canceled.
Fairfield County
Fairfield County officials said that all district schools will be closed Monday. This will be a traditional school closure, and there will be no e-learning on Monday. The day will be made up on May 25.
Lee County
Monday has been designated as an e-learning Day for all students and staff members in the Lee County School District rather than in-person instruction.
Clarendon County
Monday will be an e-learning day for all students and staff, Clarendon County District officials said. All schools and district offices will be closed. All activities, including athletic events and field trips, are canceled. Assignments will be posted in Google Classroom and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. to be marked present for the day. Students who experience power outages, limited internet access, or other barriers will be allowed additional time to complete their assignments.
Calhoun County
Calhoun County officials said that Monday will be an e-learning day for all students in the school district.
Aiken County
In abundance of caution and with safety at the forefront, Monday will be an e-learning day for students and a remote work day for district employees, Aiken County officials said.
Other district plans
Like many other area school districts, Lexington-Richland 5 had a teacher work day on March 13, but also had scheduled Monday as a day off for both students and teachers.
Lexington 4 also had previously scheduled Monday as a day with no classes for students. It was not clear if, or how, Lexington 4 teachers’ schedules will be affected by the threatening weather.
Information about any change of plans for other Midlands school districts, as well as the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College was not available.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published March 15, 2026 at 2:32 PM.
