COLUMBIA, S.C. — The potential for severe weather across parts of South Carolina has some Midlands school districts taking precautions on Friday afternoon.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued an "enhanced" risk for severe weather for the western Midlands including Saluda, Newberry, Fairfield, Kershaw, Richland, and Lexington counties for the afternoon.
Here are the school districts that have made changes to their schedule for the afternoon in hopes of keeping their students safe.
Lexington 1
All schools are on a one-hour early dismissal schedule for Friday. Elementary schools will dismiss at 1:20 p.m., middle schools at 2:30 p.m., and high schools at 2:40 p.m. This could impact students taking the advanced placement (AP) art history or microeconomics exams or the International Baccalaureate (IB) exam. Students will be contacted by the school if this is the case. All after-school activities are also canceled including school-based after-school childcare programs.
Lexington 2
The district is dismissing one hour early. This will mean a 1:10 p.m. dismissal for elementary schools, 2:10 p.m. for middle schools, and 2:50 p.m. for high schools. Afternoon and evening activities are canceled for Friday. This includes extracurricular and after-school programs as well as adult education classes. It's still unclear how SCHSL playoff games will be impacted.
Lexington 3
The district will be on a one-hour early dismissal plan impacting all Batesburg-Leesville schools. This means a 1:15 p.m. dismissal for the primary school, a 1:30 p.m. dismissal for the elementary school, a 2 p.m. dismissal for the middle school, and a 2:15 p.m. dismissal for the high school.
Lexington 4
One hour early dismissal. After-school activities and athletics are canceled. This means 1 p.m. for the Early Childhood Center, 1:15 p.m. for Sandhills Primary and Elementary, 2:30 p.m. for Francis Mack Intermediate, 21 p.m. for Sandhills Middle School, 2:15 p.m. for Swansea High Freshman Academy, and 2:30 p.m. for Swansea High.
Lexington Richland 5
The district will be on a one-hour early release schedule on Friday. This means intermediate schools will be released at 1:30 p.m., elementary schools at 1:45 p.m., Academy for Success at 2:20 p.m., all middle schools at 2:30 p.m., Spring Hill High School at 2:30 p.m., and all other high schools at 2:45 p.m.
Newberry
Elementary students will release at 1 p.m. and middle and high school students at 1:30 p.m. After-school events are canceled including Boys and Girls Club.
Richland 1
The school district will dismiss students at their normal times. However, after-school activities including sports and practices, have been canceled.
Saluda
The school district will dismiss Saluda Primary, Saluda Elementary, and Hollywood Elementary schools at 1 p.m. and Saluda Middle and High schools at 1:30 p.m.
