Bamberg board adopts makeup days and consolidates graduations to May 30

Administrators told the Bamberg County School District board on Aug. 22 that three instructional days missed during Hurricane Debbie must be made up and proposed two fall makeup days plus one spring date.

The board approved using Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, 2024, as makeup days for missed instruction and designating April 18, 2025 (Good Friday), as the third makeup day. Officials said the new calendar preserves graduation day on May 30 and asked the board to consider holding both graduation ceremonies that day, one at 3:00 p.m. and the other at 6:00 p.m.

“The third makeup day is denoted as April 18th which is Good Friday,” Dr. Brown said when outlining the proposal. He told the board those two fall dates had previously been scheduled as a fall break and would be repurposed as inclement-weather makeup days to recover instruction lost to the hurricane.

A board member raised concerns about a long uninterrupted stretch of instruction if the fall break is repurposed: “I’m concerned that the children will be in school all of August almost all of September and almost all of October — that’s a long time without break,” the member said. Administrators pointed to scheduled early-release days and Labor Day as partial relief.

After discussion the board voted to accept the calendar changes and the consolidated graduation schedule; the motion carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Administrators said high-school principals will finalize times and logistics and that adjustments can be made if necessary.