PCSD board approves a two-part inclement-weather waiver process to help schools recover lost days

The South Carolina Public Charter School District board on March 19 approved a two-part staff recommendation designed to help charter schools recover instructional time lost to winter weather and other disruptions.

PCSD staff summarized state rules and current portfolio impacts, noting most of the district's 45 schools experienced individualized interruptions this winter. Staff said state rules allow five e-learning days by state approval; local boards can waive closures for days four through six after making up at least three full days, while state waivers cover days seven through nine and the General Assembly must authorize day 10 and beyond. The staff presentation said 39 PCSD schools are already state-approved to use e-learning days during the 2025'26 school year.

Staff asked the trustees to (1) honor a local school-board waiver when a school seeks relief for closures day four, five, or six and (2) submit on a local board's behalf any requests to the State Board of Education for waivers covering closures day seven, eight, and nine or to request a joint resolution for day 10-plus. After brief clarifying questions about how requests would be transmitted to the state, the board approved the recommendation by voice vote.

PCSD said any state-waiver requests would be routed through the chair's office and that staff would report approvals back to the board. The motion carried on a voice vote; the board did not record roll-call tallies in the meeting minutes.

The approval is procedural: it does not change state statute but authorizes PCSD to act as a conduit for local-school requests and to accept local waivers for the limited days the law allows. Staff emphasized that make-up days one through three must still be made up on each school's calendar, and that approvals for additional days beyond state waivers would require legislative action.