Superintendent recommends forgiving three inclement-weather days; board member urges calendar review after two-week loss

Superintendent Williams recommended that the Colleton County School District board consider forgiving three days lost to inclement weather — Jan. 23, Jan. 24 and March 5 — and making April 25 and May 23 half days to accommodate a local festival and graduation. She said the state and the local board have authority to forgive days and noted the district has used five e-learning days and made up three inclement-weather days so far this year.

Board member Miss Witkin spoke at length about the cumulative weather impacts on the school year, saying the district had lost roughly two full weeks of instructional time due to winter storms, a prolonged winter season, hurricane-season impacts and recent high-wind or tornado threats. Witkin said adding days onto the end of the school year is not helpful for students or staff and asked the administration to revisit next year’s calendar (which the board had previously approved in January) in light of the lost instructional time.

Superintendent Williams and staff said the forgiveness and half-day requests will be action items for the board at next week's meeting and that additional information about graduation logistics will also be provided then. Williams also said details and clarifications about the state’s allowance for e-learning and total required days (the state requires 180 days in session) would be provided during the action process.