DCSD going online-only for 2 weeks

By Bobby Bryant

Editor

editor@newsandpress.net

            As the state’s COVID-19 numbers rise, the Darlington County School District has decided to go online-only for the first two weeks of the new semester, Jan. 4-15.

            The DCSD had planned to return to its mix of online and in-person classes on Jan. 4, as Christmas break ended. But in a statement issued Dec. 31, county Education Superintendent Tim Newman said officials had decided to keep all county school facilities closed for two weeks as a safety measure.

            “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 numbers in our community, our state and the nation continue to increase at an alarming rate,” Newman said in a message posted on the DCSD’s Facebook page.

            “ … After consulting with DHEC, our medical community, and other DCSD stakeholders, our Board of Education and I have made the decision to shift all DCSD students to virtual education for the next two weeks,” Newman said. “DCSD schools will operate virtually Jan. 4 through Jan. 15.”

            No athletic competitions or extracurricular activities will be held during this time, Newman said. (The district had already suspended all sports for a few weeks.)

            Since county schools reopened in September, the DCSD has been using a three-tiered educational system. Students in kindergarten and elementary school have been attending in-person classes full-time. Middle- and high-school students have been dividing their time between in-person classes and online education. Thousands of DCSD students have chosen to enroll in the district’s Virtual Academy, a full-time, online-only program.

Author: Stephan Drew

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