Horry County Schools, others in SC, closed for rest of the school year due to coronavirus
All public schools in South Carolina, including Horry County Schools, will be closed for the rest of the school year due to coronavirus, state officials announced Wednesday.
Schools have been closed since March 16 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and separate executive orders by Gov. Henry McMaster previously kept them closed through the end of March and then the end of April.
HCS has moved to an eLearning curriculum, connecting students with their teachers virtually, while the state has received federal waivers for various assessment and accountability testing.
McMaster thanked school staffs for keeping the children engaged and the schools operational. He also thanked parents who are assisting teachers in making sure kids are learning.
“It is remarkable to see the effort, the highly successful effort. I’ve never seen anything like it,” McMaster. “A lot of thought and effort went into it.”
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said buildings will not re-open for the remainder of the school year, but remote learning will continue. She said local school districts will have control over how the final weeks of school are handled. Horry County’s last day of classes was scheduled to be June 3.
The district was providing free meals to students during the closure, but that program has been suspended until at least the end of April after multiple employees tested positive for the virus, including one who died. Several church groups and nonprofits have announced efforts to help fill that void.
Spearman said the “digital divide” in South Carolina has become evident as some school districts can rely on computers more than others. In areas people do not have access to the internet, education has been a struggle.
Horry County Schools this week placed Wi-Fi buses around the county to help connect students, and WiFi is available in the school parking lots.
“And we can do more if the school district will let us know,” Spearman said.
If students are struggling academically during the pandemic but have been trying, Spearman said there should be “common sense” in determining if a student will be promoted to the next grade.
McMaster said graduation ceremonies are “a part of American life.” He is encouraging local school districts to find new and innovative ways to safely hold graduation. Spearman said she has heard from seniors in high school and there are plans in the work.
Once the summer comes, Spearman said there needs to be some creative thinking to determine how summer reading programs will work and what school will look like come August. Summer school isn’t outright canceled, but it also could be done virtually.
“It’s been sad to see schools close, but it has been a joy to see how people have pulled together for the benefit of our children,” Spearman said.
She hopes schools re-open as normal as possible in the fall, but it will require more planning to determine how social distancing can be maintained. There may need to be a few extra days in the coming school year to make up for lost instruction time due to the virus.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 11:14 AM.
