York, Chester, Lancaster County schools closed. What to know on meals, instruction
York, Chester and Lancaster County school district leaders are preparing for students to learn off campus following the closure of all South Carolina schools starting Monday.
Gov. Henry McMaster Sunday ordered all 1,250 public schools closed through the end of March due to coronavirus, or COVID-19 concerns, reports The State newspaper.
All after-school and athletic activities are also canceled.
All staff will continue to be employed and paid on their normal schedule, according to district leaders.
Local school districts will provide meals to students.
Comporium is offering 60 days of free internet service to new customers who have a student in their home, according to a release from the company Monday. The offer is open through the end of March to residents who have a student in kindergarten through 12th grade, college or graduate school who primarily lives in the home. To be eligible, residents have to live within Comporium’s internet service and have not used Comporium for internet for the past 90 days. Installation fees and security deposits will be waived.
TruVista, based in Chester, is also providing 60 days of free internet service and installation for families with students in school, according to a statement from the company. The offer is open to residents within the company’s service area who do not already use TruVista for internet. For more information, call 800-768-1212.
Rock Hill
Rock Hill school district leaders are finalizing plans for students to work off campus, according to a statement from the district Sunday.
“During this time, our buildings will be completely shut down to students and only essential personnel will be allowed on campus to maintain our operations. There will be no activities in our schools and no off-site school activities of any kind,” reads the statement.
Rock Hill is one of the S.C. school districts selected to participate in the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee eLearning days pilot program.
Learning packets for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade will be available at schools on Wednesday.
Students will start online lessons Thursday, according to the district.
Families can pick up free breakfast and lunch during the closure for children 18 and younger, according to the district. Breakfast will be available from 8 to 10 a.m. and lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these schools:
- Belleview Elementary, 501 Belleview Road
- Finley Road Elementary, 1089 Finley Road
- Richmond Drive Elementary, 1162 Richmond Drive
- Rosewood Elementary, 2240 Rosewood Drive
- Oakdale Elementary, 1129 Oakdale Road
Meals can also be picked up from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays from a school bus parked at these locations:
- College Downs Park
- Boyd Hill Apartments - 1307 Constitution Blvd.
Friedheim Park
The Glens Apartments - 1041 Glenarden Dr.
- Confederate Park
- Workman Street Apartments - 302 Workman St.
- Catawba Indian Reservation Long House
Students who receive food assistance through the district’s Back the Pack program will continue receiving bags each Friday.
For more information, visit rock-hill.k12.sc.us/coronavirus.
The Rock Hill school district will continue board of trustee meetings as scheduled, according to a statement Monday. The meetings are streamed on Facebook and available on the district’s website. Residents are encouraged to watch the meetings rather than attend in person.
Students will not participate in school board meetings until further notice, according to the district. The next meeting is March 23.
York
York school district leaders are preparing alternative plans for students to work off campus. Information is on the district’s website.
“The strength of our school district is our community. We recognize that this situation may be unsettling. We have been working to prepare for this scenario so that student learning and meal service can continue in an alternative format,” reads a statement from the district Sunday.
While schools are closed, families can pick up meals for students in all grades at York Comprehensive High School, off Lincoln Road. Pick up times are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 19 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 20.
Through the closure, meals can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays.
Starting Wednesday, the district will also deliver meals and paper learning packets for students using school buses, according to the statement. Meals will be delivered from 8:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. for kindergarten through sixth grade students and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for students in grades 7 through 12.
For more information, visit the district’s website, e-mail info@york.k12.sc.us or call 803-818-6010.
Fort Mill
All students will start remote classwork Wednesday, according to the district.
Fort Mill schools will provide free breakfast and lunch for students in need during the closure, according to a district statement Monday. Families can pick up meals at bus stops throughout the district. A full list of bus routes is posted to the district’s website.
On Tuesday and Thursday, students will be given two breakfast and two lunch meals, according to the district. Students will be able to pick up multiple meals at bus stops on March 23, March 25 and March 30.
Parents can also pick up meals for students from 10:15 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. at the Nation Ford High School bus loop on delivery days, according to the district.
For more information, visit the district’s website.
Clover
Clover Superintendent Sheila Quinn addressed the closure in a video statement shared Sunday evening.
“We know that this is going to be a challenging time for many of our families in our district,” Quinn said. “The number one priority is to make sure your children and families remain safe and healthy during this troubling time. Our second goal is to keep learning moving forward as best we can.”
Quinn has a child who is a senior in Clover, she said.
“We are hopeful that schools will be back in session in April,” she said.
Clover is one of the S.C. school districts selected to participate in the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee eLearning days pilot program.
Clover schools will use eLearning to allow students to work remotely starting Wednesday, Quinn said. Paper packets of activities will be provided for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. For other grades, students will receive assignments digitally or in paper packets if needed.
Students will be allowed to take home their district-provided devices, Quinn said.
Parents can pick up their students’ supplies from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at their child’s school, Quinn said.
Staff will be on hand to help download content for families without internet access at home, Quinn said. The district is also expanding WiFi to outside school buildings, including in parking lots, for families to upload assignments when needed. All campuses will have WiFi in parking lots starting Wednesday, except for Clover High School.
Meals and instruction materials are being dropped off from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays using school buses, according to the district. A full list of zones is available on the district’s website. For more information, call the transportation office at 803-810-8190.
Pre-kindergarten screenings originally set for April 1-3 have been postponed, according to the district. The new date has not been determined. For more information, call 803-810-8000.
Chester County
Chester County students can access assignments on the district’s website starting Monday. Instructional packets will be given to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Middle and high school students can complete assignments on their district-provided tablet, according to a statement from the district.
Families can pick up meals for students during the closure. Breakfast will be available from 7 to 9 a.m. and lunches can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m during the week at these locations:
- Great Falls Complex - Front Loop
- Lewisville Middle - Front Car Rider Line
- Chester Park Complex- Back Loop by Cafeteria
- Harmony Baptist Church - Edgemoor
- Fort Lawn Community Center - Fort Lawn
- YMCA - Chester
- Brown’s Chapel - Chester
- Metropolitan AME Zion - Chester
- Mount Zion Baptist Church - Great Falls
- WestSide Baptist - Bus on Corner of Pinkney and Rose Street
- Richburg Park - Bus will be giving out meals
Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church - Fort Lawn
Baton Rouge Park - West Chester
Lancaster County
Lancaster County schools are closed, but staff and administration will continue working, according to a statement from the district Sunday.
Lancaster County students can make up missed days by completing learning packets at home. Information is available on the district’s website.
Families can pick up lunch and breakfast for students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday during the closure at these locations:
- Andrew Jackson High School
- Buford High School
- Lancaster High School
- AR Rucker Middle School
- South Middle School
Charter schools
York Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Rock Hill, is finalizing plans for the closure, according to a Sunday statement.
The Riverwalk Academy charter school in Rock Hill will have students study at home during the closure, according to a statement posted on the school’s website.
The Legion Collegiate Academy charter school in Rock Hill has moved to online courses during the closure.
Colleges
Winthrop University is switching to remote instruction for the rest of the semester following spring break due to coronavirus concerns, according to a statement from interim president George W. Hynd.
The university is postponing spring commencement ceremonies. Winthrop has also closed on-campus offices.
York Technical College in Rock Hill extended spring break for students through March 20 and switched to online classes starting March 23.
Clinton College in Rock Hill is moving to online classes for the rest of the spring semester, according to a release from the school. May graduation ceremonies have been postponed until December.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 8:54 PM with the headline "York, Chester, Lancaster County schools closed. What to know on meals, instruction."
