COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hurricane Ian is expected to blow through South Carolina this weekend, bringing potentially heavy rain and flooding opportunities on Thursday and Friday. WLTX has reached out to school districts in the Midlands to ask about plans for dealing with the storm.
Benedict College: The College will offer classes through its virtual learning platform, Canvas. There will be no in-person class. Faculty are expected to provide the appropriate links and instructions for productive academic engagement. General campus operations will be suspended. Essential student service units including the dining hall, Health Center, and the Police Department will remain open.
Calhoun County: Friday (9/30/22) Will be an E-Learning Day for all students and faculty/staff will work from home.
Central Carolina Technical College: Closings All CCTC campuses will be closed Friday, September 30 due to inclement weather. Normal operating hours will resume on Monday, October 3. Any updates will be announced through the Emergency Notification System (text, email, phone call), social media and the college's website: cctech.edu.
Claflin University: Classes for Friday will be held virtually.
Clarendon County School District: Due to inclement weather, CCSD will operate on the following schedule Friday. Students must complete assignments and continue their learning at home to be marked present for an e-Learning Day. Students have 5 days from the day they return to school to turn in all assignments from the e-Learning Day. If assignments are not turned in, the students will not receive credit and they will be marked absent for the e-Learning day. To see the District e-Learning Expectations, visit https://www.clarendon2.k12.sc.us/Page/3232.
Columbia College: All offices of the College will operate remotely on Friday, September 30, 2022. All classes scheduled to meet in person on Friday will transition to remote learning. Students should check email and the Canvas course site for guidance from professors. All Thursday evening (9/29) classes are to meet as scheduled. The Student Union Dining Hall will remain open for service to our residential students. J. Drake Edens Library will be closed Friday (9/30) but will reopen for regular operating hours on Saturday (10/1). Family and Friends Weekend is postponed until further notice.
Columbia International University - Closed Friday
Kershaw County School District: Due to Hurricane Ian’s predicted path and concerns with high winds for school buses, Kershaw County School District (KCSD) will switch to an eLearning Day for Friday, September 30, for all students. All school buildings and offices will be closed.
All after-school activities and events including adult education classes that were scheduled for Friday and Saturday are canceled.
Teachers will post assignments in Canvas (or provide paper packets). Specific instructions will be communicated to students and parents from teachers and schools. Teachers will be working remotely on Friday, and will be available for student questions during their virtual office hours:
- Elementary Schools: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Middle and High Schools: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
*Please note that in some cases, teachers may communicate slightly different available office hours to their students depending upon their availability.
Technology staff will be answering technology-related issues via telephone at (803) 432-8916 or by email at esupport@kcsdschools.net.
Fairfield School District: In anticipation of severe rain and winds from Hurricane Ian, the Fairfield County School District will implement an eLearning Day for Friday, September 30, 2022. Schools and offices will be closed. All scheduled programs and athletic events will be rescheduled for a later date
Lee County School District: Due to the high probability of heavy wind and rain extending from Hurricane Ian, Friday, September 30, 2022 will be an eLearning day for all students in Lee County School District. This means schools and office buildings will be closed, and all activities, including athletic events and field trips, are canceled.
Lexington District One: All Lexington District One schools will shift to e-learning on Friday, Sept. 30, as potentially severe weather is predicted in our area because of Hurricane Ian. That means the school buildings and offices will close Friday, with teachers assigning both virtual instruction and/or take-home lessons. All afterschool activities and athletics are canceled for Friday.
Lexington District Two: Due to forecasts of inclement weather associated with Hurricane Ian, Lexington Two will move to an eLearning day on Friday, Sept. 30. District families should check their email for details.
Lexington District Three: Lexington County School District Three announces that Friday, September 30th will be an eLearning Day for students and staff members across the district due to the potential for severe weather resulting from Hurricane Ian.
Lexington District Four: Lexington Four, in coordination with all Lexington County school districts, will transition to an e-Learning day for all schools, Friday, September 30, 2022. All afterschool activities and athletics are canceled for Friday.
Lexington-Richland 5: Lexington-Richland School District Five schools, including FIVE, will transition to an e-learning day on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Teachers will post assignments to Google Classroom or Seesaw accounts by 10:00am Friday morning for asynchronous learning. Asynchronous learning involves students completing assignments independently at their own pace throughout the day. Teachers will continue to support students during asynchronous learning by providing feedback, responding to questions, and reviewing assignments when in-person learning resumes. All students will have up to five (5) days to complete assignments.
All afterschool programs and other events Friday, September 30, 2022, through Sunday, October 2, 2022, are canceled or postponed.
Midlands Technical College: Due to weather from the Ian storm system, MTC will be closed beginning on Friday, September 30. Classes and normal operations are scheduled to resume on Monday, October 3.
Morris College, Sumter: Due to inclement weather classes at Morris College will be suspended for the rest of the day for Thursday, September 29, 2022, and the campus will close at 12:00 p.m. All classes will meet virtually on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Newberry School District: Due to the threat of high winds and heavy rain associated with Hurricane Ian, all schools and offices will be closed Friday, September 30, with students and staff participating in eLearning. Teachers will post assignments for students to complete, but there will be no live Google Meets on this day. Students who do not have internet access will need to download assignments during school on Thursday.
Students will have a five-school-day window of time to turn in eLearning assignments. If assignments are not returned within that five-school-day window, the student may be counted absent for the day.
There will be no school-related activities, including athletics and Boys and Girls Club on Friday, September 30.
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College: Due to anticipated inclement weather associated with Tropical Storm Ian, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College has canceled all evening classes for Thursday, September 29, and will be closed Friday, September 30. The college will resume its normal operating schedule Monday, October 3.
Orangeburg County School District: all schools will be dismissed early on Thursday, September 29.
Kindergarten through 5th-grade elementary schools dismiss at 11:30 a.m. except Dover Elementary which will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. Middle Schools, K-12 Schools, and Middle High Schools dismiss at 12:30 p.m. High Schools dismiss at 1:00, except Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, which will dismiss at 1:30 p.m. Again, our decision to dismiss early will provide a longer window for buses to get students home safely after school while ensuring our youngest drivers and district staff that commute from other counties that may be impacted are off the roads before any severe weather.
Additionally, Friday, September 30 will be an eLearning day for all students, faculty, and staff in Orangeburg County School District. All afterschool programs are canceled for Thursday and Friday. All athletic events previously planned for Thursday or Friday have either been rescheduled or canceled
Richland One: Due to predicted heavy rainfall and strong sustained winds with wind gusts up to 30-40 mph across Richland County, all Richland One schools and administrative buildings will be closed Friday, September 30.
Friday will be an e-learning day for students and a work-from-home day for all district employees. Breakfast and lunch meals for Friday will be sent home with students Thursday.
Richland Two: Richland School District Two will switch to an e-learning/remote work day on Friday, September 30, 2022, due to the potential for hazardous weather associated with Hurricane Ian. This means all school buildings and district facilities will be closed and all after-school activities are canceled. Teachers will post assignments in Google Classroom (or provide paper packets). Specific instructions, including teacher virtual office hours, will be communicated to students and parents from their students’ teachers and schools. All assignments must be completed and turned in by Wednesday, October 5, 2022, in order for the student to be marked present for Friday, September 30, 2022.
Bagged meals for Friday’s breakfast and lunch will be provided for students to bring home with them on Thursday.
Thank you for your flexibility as we shift to an eLearning/remote work day.
Saluda County Schools: Normal operations on Thursday and Friday is a professional development day and student holiday-so no classes.
South Carolina State University: In an abundance of caution, South Carolina State University will cancel Friday classes (Sept. 30) as the Orangeburg area is likely to receive heavy rains from Hurricane Ian.
Sumter County Schools: Friday, September 30 will be an eLearning day for all students in Sumter School District. This means schools and office buildings will be closed, and all activities, including athletic events and field trips, are canceled. Because we are an approved eLearning district, this day will not have to be made up, and lessons and assignments will be posted in Schoology. Students will complete eLearning assignments later if they are unable to participate due to power outages, lack of internet service, or other barriers.
In order to help ensure the safety of our students and staff, Sumter School District works in conjunction with emergency management and law enforcement officials when making decisions regarding inclement weather in our community. Although the forecast could change, we wanted to give our families and staff enough notice in order to prepare for the inclement weather. Please remain safe.
Liberty STEAM Charter School, Sumter: Friday, September 30 will be an eLearning day for all scholars LSC. This means the school and network office will be closed. Our school closure protocols identify you as a media stakeholder in our community to notify so that you can, in turn, inform your audience.
Because we are an approved eLearning school, this day will not have to be made up, and lessons and assignments will be posted on Dojo and social media. Scholars will complete eLearning assignments alternatively if they are unable to participate due to power outages, lack of internet service, or other barriers through an instructional packet.
University of South Carolina: Due to anticipated inclement weather associated with Tropical Storm Ian, all classes scheduled for the Columbia campus for Friday, Sept. 30 are canceled, including all in-person and virtual classes. As a state agency, the university follows the delay and closing determinations of Richland County government.
Friday’s closure will not impact classes, games or other activities scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29.
Essential campus operations like food service, housing, health services and virtual academic support services will continue throughout the closure. Essential employees are required to report to campus. Employees should check with their supervisors for additional details.
V.V. Reid School: The school be closed on Friday, September 30, 2022, due to inclement weather.
Voorhees University: Voorhees University will be closed through Saturday, October 1, 2022, due to inclement weather associated with Hurricane Ian. All classes and outdoor activities are canceled and administrative offices are closed. The campus is expected to reopen and operate on a regular schedule Monday, October 3, 2022.
This story will be updated as more school districts update their plans.
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