COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hurricane Dorian is causing most schools in the Midlands to cancel classes, as the storm is expected to impact the state Thursday.
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Dorian will bring high winds, flooding rain, and dangerous storm surge to the coast. In the Midlands, we'll see some high winds and at times heavy rain, depending on where you live.
Here is the latest information News19 has received about school closings, plus a few other key closings, related to Dorian.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS
The following school districts have announced closures or early dismissals:
+Bamberg 2 will dismiss early at 1 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed on Thursday
+Ben Lippen School will be closed on Thursday and will reopen on Friday
+Bethesday Christian school in Kershaw county will be closed on Thursday.
+Calhoun County Schools will be closed on Thursday, September 5.
+Cardinal Newman School will be closed on Thursday, all activities and practices for Thursday are also canceled.
+Center for Learning Inc will be closed on Thursday
+C.C. Pinckney Elementary school at Fort Jackson will be closed on Thursday September 5.
+Clarendon 1 will be closed on Thursday.
+Clarendon 2 will be closed on Thursday.
+Clarendon 3 will be closed on Thursday.
+East Point Academy will be closed on Thursday
+Fairfield School District will be closed on Thursday
+Felton Laboratroy Charter school will be closed on Thursday
+Green Charter School of the Midlands will be closed on Thursday
+Kershaw County School District will close on Thursday September 5.
+Lee County School District will close on Thursday and has cancelled all extracurricular activities on Wednesday and Thursday.
+Lexington School District One will be closed on Thursday
+Lexington School District Two will be closed on Thursday
+Lexington School District Three will be closed on Thursday
+Lexington School District Four will be closed on Thursday
+Lexington-Richland School District Five will be closed on Thursday
+ Little Love Christian Academy will be closed on Thursday
+Midlands Middle College in Lexington county will be closed on Thursday.
+Orangeburg County School District will close on Thursday September 5.
+Pierce Terrace Elementary school at Fort Jackson will be closed on Thursday.
+Renaissance Collegiate Academy will be closed on Thursday
+Richland One School District will close on Thursday September 5. All afternoon practices, activities are also canceled.
+Richland Two School District will be closed on Thursday
+Sonlight Heritage Academy will be closed on Thursday.
+Southeastern Institute Columbia campus to be closed on Thursday
+St. James Lutheran School will be closed Thursday.
+Sumter School District schools and offices will be closed Thursday, and all after-school activities are canceled for Wednesday. The district plans to resume school on Friday, September 6.
+ Westside Christian Academy in Sumter will be closed on Thursday, September 5.
+Gray Collegiate Academy to be closed on Wednesday and Thursday. They will resume normal operations on Friday.
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
+ Fort Jackson is cancelling Family Day and graduation activities this week because of Hurricane Dorian.
Brig. Gen. Milford Beagle, post commander, asked that everyone increase their sense of urgency and take early precautions to prepare. "Evacuations from the lower state and other military installations to Fort Jackson and Columbia will understandably impact us and cause disruptions to our current patterns of life," he said.
+Voorhees College classes are canceled for Thursday September 5 and The Formal Fall Opening Convocation also for Thursday has been postponed.
+Denmark Technical College will be closed on Thursday September 5.
+ Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College will dismiss at 12:30 pm and no afternoon or evening classes will be held on Wednesday September 4. The College will also be closed Thursday, September 5.
+ South Carolina State University and Claflin University will close campuses and cancel classes through Friday, Sept. 6.
Both schools, located in Orangeburg County, say that for the safety of the students and faculty, they are choosing to close.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to seek safety away from the predicted affected areas. Residential students are encouraged to leave campus. However, residential students who are unable to leave campus must register with their residential life coordinator.
If you have questions about Claflin's closure you can call (803) 535-5301 and for South Carolina State they will be updating their website.
+ Morris College in Sumter is suspending classes through Thursday, Sept. 5. All faculty, staff, and students should pay close attention to Morris College email and official social media pages for information regarding when classes will resume.
If you are a student and will be remaining on campus, please see your Residence Hall Director to check-in. If you are a student who will be exiting the campus please see your Residence Hall Director to check-out. Residence Hall Directors will provide students with information regarding procedures during the inclement weather.
Students with any further questions can contact Dr. Davis-Freeman, Dean of Student Affairs at (803) 934-3217. All other inquiries can be sent to the Office of Public Relations, morriscollegepr@gmail.com
+USC Sumter campus to be closed on Thursday September 5. Classes are expected to resume on Friday September 6.
+ St. Leo University Sumter, Shaw locations to cancel classes on Thursday due to Hurricane Dorian.
+ Central Carolina Technical College All CCTC campuses will be closed Thursday due to inclement weather from Hurricane Dorian. Daily announcements will be available on the college phone system and social media.
+ Coker University in Harstville has cancelled on-campus classes for the week. Students should check Blackboard as some on-campus classes may meet online.
All Coker University offices will be open until further notice. More information is available at coker.edu/alerts
+ Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in Conway has decided to suspend classes and close the campus as Hurricane Dorian nears South Carolina.
The statement from CCU reads in part, "In an abundance of caution, CCU will cancel on-campus classes and will initiate the academic continuity plan, starting Tuesday, Sept. 3. The University will provide ample notice before on-campus classes are resumed."
Faculty and staff are to anticipate reporting for normal working hours on Tuesday until further notice.
Students will be notified of details of the academic continuity plan via an email from Interim Provost Dan Ennis. Students who have traveled out of the area for the Labor Day holiday are asked to not return to campus until the hurricane has passed.
All other students are asked to pay close attention to emails from University Housing, if residential; and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
+ Charleston-area Clemson University classes and university-sponsored activities have been cancelled, and all university facilities in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, and Jasper counties will close beginning Sept. 2.
Students in these counties should contact their faculty for guidance in making up the classes.
Only those Clemson personnel deemed "essential" should report to work. Check with your supervisor for instructions.
Classes and offices in the Upstate are NOT affected. University officials will continue to monitor the situation and potential impact as Hurricane Dorian approaches.
+ MUSC Charleston will be open for scheduled procedures. MUSC Health hospitals on the Charleston peninsula has received a DHEC waiver to shelter in place during the storm.
Decisions regarding clinics, ambulatory ORs and other outpatient access will be announced when more information about Hurricane Dorian’s trajectory becomes available.
MUSC Health is offering virtual care (online visits) at no charge to all South Carolina residents as we prepare for Hurricane Dorian, as well as during and after the storm. Using the promo code MUSCDORIAN will waive the regular $25 fee for the visit.
+ Additionally, Governor McMaster ordered all schools and government offices in the following counties to be closed, beginning Tuesday, September 3: Beaufort, Colleton, Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, Georgetown, Horry, and Jasper.
At present, no Midlands schools are closed, but McMaster said due to the evacuations, and the need to use some schools as shelters, that may change.
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