COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman says none of the state’s school district reopening plans are approved at this time, but the Department is actively reviewing them.
In two hours of testimony, Superintendent Spearman told the S.C. House COVID-19 Public Education Committee her top priority is the safety and health of students and staff.
“We have a variety of plans that are being submitted because there's a variety of conditions across the state. So, I am not using 5-days-a-week as the criteria, there will be some five days approved, but there will be other hybrid plans approved as well,” Spearman said.
The Superintendent told the committee 28 districts are still waiting on local school board approval to submit their plans.
Originally, 35 districts asked for extensions after last week when Governor McMaster requested all districts give parents a choice on face-to-face or virtual instruction.
She said schools across the state are facing challenges to reopen fully.
“I think maintaining social distancing, they want to have their children back. But, because when you have 20-25 children in a classroom, there's really no way to maintain any type of social distancing. So they're working with their populations, as families choose virtual that's decreasing the number of students and they're planning to work off of that,” Spearman said.
If students return to classrooms, Spearman is considering mask requirements.
“It is absolutely clear, and that's why all South Carolinians should put on a mask and wear it, so that we can get back to school. So I am contemplating that requirement and I do believe I do have that authority to require that, particularly in transportation since we own all the school buses in the state,” the Superintendent told reporters after the meeting.
Spearman addressed other education issues while testifying in front of the committee.
Through a combination of agencies, they made contact with roughly 12,000 students considered ‘COVID truant’ after schools closed in the spring, saying they still needed to touch base with about 4,200 more, according to Spearman.
She also guaranteed schools returning virtually or in-person this fall would be required to take attendance and maintain attendance records as usual. Attendance taking and requirements were altered in the spring when schools closed in March.
Spearman also asked lawmakers to help with funding to continue the purchase of protective equipment when CARES Act funding is spent.
After the meeting, Spearman also said she would need state budget help in finding and funding permanent nurses for more than a hundred South Carolina schools currently without a fulltime nurse.
As plans are being considered and reviewed, the Department of Education and other state and private partners are attempting to bridge the digital divide. Spearman said they’re connecting hundreds of thousands of students and families with wifi-enabled hotspots, internet connectivity, and needed-technology through a combination of state and federal funding.