Updated April 3: York County region schools closed. What to know now.
All South Carolina schools are closed through the end of April due to coronavirus, or COVID-19, concerns, reports The State newspaper.
York, Chester and Lancaster County educators are providing meals and instruction packets to students in their districts throughout the closure. Districts implemented the delivery programs when schools closed earlier this month.
The latest announcement from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman extends school closures for an additional month.
South Carolina schools will not have to administer several standardized tests for spring 2020, reports The State newspaper. They include SC READY (English language arts and mathematics in grades 3–8); SCPASS (science in grades 4 and 6); End-of-Course Examination Program (English, Algebra, Biology, United States History and the Constitution).
The requirement that these examinations count 20 percent has been waived, reports The State. Prekindergarten assessments and Alternate Assessments are also waived.
State education leaders are looking at options for college placement tests such as the ACT and SAT.
York, Chester and Lancaster County students are completing classwork either online or via paper packets.
Spring break for York County students is April 6-10. Districts are closed on April 13 for Easter.
Rock Hill
District officials addressed the extension in a statement Tuesday evening: “Through this closure, we remain committed to ensuring all students are engaged – either via hardcopy packets or online – and that the work is high-quality, manageable, and appropriate while not placing unnecessary burdens on families during this time.”
Superintendent Bill Cook addressed eLearning and other updates in a video message posted on the district’s Facebook page Thursday. Cook said state leaders have said they will open schools earlier if safe to do so.
“Schools must remain closed to protect the health and safety of all South Carolinians,” Cook said.
Students will continue with eLearning during the closure. Cook said the district hopes to have paper packets available next week for students who need them. Directions will follow from schools.
Students in grades 3-12 should submit assignments digitally. Students who use paper packets should send in work based on instruction from teachers, Cook said. This can include sending photos of the work to teachers via e-mail.
The district will soon share information related to grading policies, Cook said. High school students will receive information on testing.
High school proms have been postponed to May 30, according to the district. High school graduations are scheduled for June 6.
Rock Hill families can pick up breakfast for students from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at these locations:
- 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 are also available on weekdays at:
- College Downs Park - 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Boyd Hill Apartments, 1307 Constitution Boulevard - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Emmett Scott Center, 801 Crawford Road - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- The Glens Apartments, 1041 Glenarden Dr. - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Confederate Park - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Workman Street Apartments, 302 Workman St. - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Catawba Indian Reservation Long House - 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Cedar Valley - 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Rock Pointe Apartments - 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Trexler Lane Mobile Home Park - 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Students must be present to receive a meal. Meals are distributed from school buses, which also provide Wi-Fi hot spots for students, according to the district. As of March 16, Rock Hill district employees have served more than 12,000 meals.
Students who are helped through the district’s Back the Pack program will continue receiving bags each Friday during the closure.
For more information, visit the Rock Hill school district’s website. Parents can also e-mail helpme@rhmail.org or call 803-980-2016 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays for help.
York
A statement on the district’s Facebook page addresses the closure extension: “York School District One has been preparing for this possibility, and we want to reassure you: we remain committed to providing essential services for our students, including student meal service, even during these difficult times.”
York students can pick up meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday at York Comprehensive High School, 275 Alexander Love Hwy. Drivers should enter from Lincoln Road. Two meals will be provided Thursday.
School buses also deliver meals to students along bus routes beginning at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Students will receive two days’ worth of meals on Monday and three days of meals on Wednesday.
Families with students who need meals or instruction packets delivered but do not normally ride the bus should call 803-818-6010 or e-mail info@york.k12.sc.us.
Offices at York schools remain closed. For more information, visit york.k12.sc.us/covid19.
Clover
Breakfast and lunch meals are available for pickup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at bus stops throughout the Clover school district.
Middle and high school students should come to a bus stop in their assigned elementary school zone.
A full list of bus stops and eLearning information is available on the district’s website. Any student can pick up a meal. Students must be present to receive meals.
Families can also pick up student meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at Clover High School.
For more information, parents can call 803-810-8003 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. or e-mail csd.communication@clover.k12.sc.us.
Clover superintendent Sheila Quinn addressed eLearning, pick up of paper instruction packets, state testing, grading and more in a video statement posted to the district’s Facebook page. Information is also posted to the district’s website.
Students in grades 1 through 12 will be receiving new assignments digitally while schools are closed, according to the district.
Families with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students have several options for receiving new paper packets: teachers can send parents digital copies to print at home, printed packets can be picked up at elementary schools from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 31 in the car-rider lines, or paper packets will be available at bus stops on April 1 for parents who notify their child’s teacher of this need by March 31.
Fort Mill
Fort Mill students will continue with digital assignments while schools are closed. Completed work can be turned in electronically.
Following spring break, parents can pick up instruction packets for students who need them from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. April 16 and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 17, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. Work done on paper can be held until school resumes or families receive alternate instructions.
Students will not have to complete work during spring break. Grading information is posted to the district’s website.
Fort Mill schools will provide free breakfast and lunch for students in need during the closure, according to a district statement.
Families can pick up meals at bus stops throughout the district. A full list of bus routes and pick up dates is posted to the district’s website.
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.
Any student can pick up a meal. Students must be present to receive meals.
The district’s backpack program continues while schools are closed.
Fort Mill students have instruction materials to last through spring break, according to the district.
“Our district is currently working on a long-term plan for this extended closure and more details on this plan, including the availability of new materials, will be announced as soon as they are completed,” reads a statement posted to the district’s Facebook page Tuesday.
Fort Mill school district offices are closed to the public. For more information, call 803-548-2527 or visit the district’s website.
Chester County
Chester County School District families can pick up student meals from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at these sites:
- Chester Park Complex
- Great Falls Complex
- Lewisville Middle School
- Harmony Baptist Church - Edgemoor
- Mount Zion - Great Falls
- Fort Lawn Community Center - Fort Lawn
- Metropolitan AME- Chester
School buses also deliver meals starting at 10 a.m. along regular routes, according to the district. The buses run about four hours behind normal pick up time.
Any student can pick up a meal. Students must be present to receive meals.
Spring break for Chester County students is April 6-13. Families can pick up meals during spring break as well:
- April 2 - Students will get two breakfast and lunch meals at Chester Park Complex, Great Falls Complex and Lewisville Middle School and along bus routes.
- April 3 - Students will get five breakfast and lunch meals at Chester Park Complex, Great Falls Complex and Lewisville Middle School and along bus routes.
- April 13 - Meals will be distributed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chester Park Complex, Great Falls Complex and Lewisville Middle School. There will be no meals available at bus stops.
- April 14 - Bus route deliveries will resume.
Elementary students should turn in their first packets of work and pick up a new one from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 15 at these locations:
- Chester Park Students- back of building at cafeteria loop
- Great Falls Elementary Students- Great Falls High at loop
- Lewisville Elementary Students- Lewisville Middle front loop
For more information, visit the district’s website.
Lancaster County
Families can pick up five lunch and five breakfast meals for students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Monday at these sites:
- Andrew Jackson High
- Buford High
- Lancaster High
- AR Rucker Middle
- South Middle
- Indian Land Middle (for qualified students in Indian Land area)
Lancaster County students are completing work virtually. Second packets can be picked up from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at schools on April 9. First packets can be dropped off then.
Packets will also be posted on the district and school websites on April 9.
Spring break for Lancaster County students is April 10-17.
More information is available on the district’s website.
Charter schools
Students at York Preparatory Academy, a public K-12 charter school in Rock Hill, are completing classwork remotely. York Prep’s spring break is April 6-10.
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, Clinton College and York Technical College in Rock Hill have moved to remote instruction for the rest of the semester.
Winthrop and Clinton have postponed spring commencement ceremonies.
Internet service
Comporium is offering 60 days of free internet service to new customers who have a student in their home, according to a statement from the company. 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.
Check back for updates.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 5:36 PM.
