Students return for hybrid learning in Horry County Schools after lengthy absence

Students began arriving to Ten Oaks Middle School this morning in cars and buses for in-person classes for the first time since March.

“A lot of them have not been on campus for close to six months,” Principal Ben Prince said, “so it’s real important we just kind of check in on where they are, and how they’re doing, and then we will help them get acclimated with school. But, today is just going to be a day to just kind of welcome them back.”

Horry County schools finished the 2019-20 school year with virtual learning after all South Carolina public schools were ordered to close in mid-March to reduce the spread of coronavirus. HCS was initially set to reopen Aug. 17, but board members voted to delay opening until Tuesday to give staff more time to prepare. Schools will operate on a hybrid schedule, splitting students into two groups with each group attending in-person classes two days per week.

That schedule could change to full, in-person classes if coronavirus cases continue dropping in Horry County or all virtual if cases begin spiking again. The hybrid schedule will continue for at least another week after Monday’s Department of Health and Environmental Control report showed Horry still with medium disease activity.

Parents and students also had the option to enroll in a full-time virtual school, which required at least a semester commitment, and more than 13,000 students, about 30 percent total, chose that option.

Prince said they would normally have 1,050 students coming to the Ten Oaks campus but with the hybrid learning model dividing them into groups, the A and G students will make up fewer than 400 today with B and G groups returning over the next two days.

Price asked that parents be flexible this week.

“We’re adjusting just like the community is adjusting,” he said, “but we are confident things are going to go well and we will work out any kinks and we are just happy to have the opportunity to have them back on campus with us.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 12:23 PM.