25 Oct District revises school calendar to make up days lost during, after Hurricane Matthew
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 19, 2021
District revises school calendar to make up days lost during, after Hurricane Matthew
BEAUFORT – The Beaufort County School District has revised its school calendar to restore instructional time lost during the Hurricane Matthew evacuation and during the return of evacuees and restoration of services to schools.
The eight school days lost during Hurricane Matthew meant a total of nine lost first-semester because of an additional day missed last month during Tropical Storm Hermine.
South Carolina laws covering minimum instructional time meant that the district had to find a way to restore four days to first semester so that students could meet their course requirements, said Superintendent Jeff Moss. After discussions Tuesday night with the Board of Education and Wednesday morning with school principals, Moss said it was determined that the best way to do that was to make December 19-21 full instructional days with all schools operating on normal schedules, and December 22 a half day.
“That will restore four days to our calendar,” Moss said. “The Beaufort County Board of Education last night approved a waiver for three days, and we will ask the State Board of Education to waive one day, covering the eight days of lost instructional time.”
The district’s winter break will now begin when school dismisses after a half-day of instruction on Thursday, Dec. 22. Classes will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 4.
The lost instructional day from Tropical Storm Hermine had already been restored by having students return from winter break one day early, on Jan. 4 instead of Jan. 5.
“We understand that these schedule changes may be an inconvenience during winter break,” said Superintendent Jeff Moss. “But we must adhere to state law, and our primary concern is the education of the 22,000 children entrusted to our care.”
Jim Foster
Director of Communications
Beaufort County School District
843-322-2432 (office)
843-441-1560 (mobile)
843-322-2330 (fax)