****This article was posted in September of 2018****
Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Nearly all South Carolina schools closed by Florence will reopen on Monday.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced Saturday that he lifted restrictions for schools. That mean local school districts now have the authority to decide if they'll reopen.
Here is the list that we've received so far of what's open/closed. If you don't see your school district on there, don't worry: we'll keep updating this list:
SCHOOLS & SCHOOL DISTRICTS:
Calhoun County Schools - Students report at 9 a.m. Faculty, staff report at regular time.
Clarendon School District 1 - OPEN
Clarendon School District 2 - OPEN
Claredon School District 3 - OPEN
Fairfield School District - OPEN
Kershaw County Schools - 2-HOUR DELAY
Lee County Schools - CLOSED
Lexington School District 1- OPEN
Lexington School District 2- OPEN
Lexington School District 3 - OPEN
Lexington School District 4 - OPEN
However, the district released this statement:
Due to the significant amount of rain over the past few days, there are roads in the Lexington Four area that buses are unable to travel upon due to unsafe conditions. Parents and guardians of bus riders will be informed of the locations of pick up at the ends of the following roads:
Antioch Church Road
Athens School Road
Bachman Dykes Road
Bird Dog Road
Block House Road
Burns Drive
Burton Gunter Road
Daniel Sharpe Road
Fred Rast Road
J K Rucker Road
Jones Wire Road closed from Whetstone Road to Swansea Road
King Grove Road
Lairds Hill Road
Peele Court
Pine Plain Road
Poole’s Mill Road
Pough Road
Redmond Chavis Road
Sandy Ridge Road turn around at King Grove Road
Sutton Hall Road
Woodford Road
Lexington-Richland School District 5 - OPEN (B Day)
Newberry County Schools - OPEN
Orangeburg School District 3 - OPEN
Orangeburg School District 4 - OPEN
Orangeburg School District 5 - OPEN
Richland School District 1 - OPEN
Richland School District 2 - OPEN
Saluda County Schools - OPEN
Sumter County Schools - OPEN
Williamsburg County Schools - Closed, staff report at 8:30. Students on 2-hour delay Tuesday.
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Columbia College - OPEN
Midlands Technical College - OPEN
Newberry College - Classes Canceled; Administrative offices open at 10 a.m.
Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech - OPEN
University of SC - OPEN
USC - Aiken - OPEN
Voorhees College - OPEN
Last Tuesday, the governor closed public schools in 26 counties in advance of the storm due to the threat posed by Florence. For some, that was because an evacuation order was in place. But for others, especially in the Midlands, it was for all the traffic caused by evacuees using the roads, as well as the need to use school buses to transport people from the coast.
Florence moved ashore in North Carolina Friday, and has brought catastrophic flooding to that region.