Survey: District unable to contact 196 students
By Bobby Bryant
Editor
editor@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County School District has been unable to contact 196 students since the schools were closed because of COVID-19 and the district went to online education, a survey by the state Education Department says.
The survey, reproduced by WIS-TV, found that statewide, school districts had been unable to reach 16,085 students since Gov. Henry McMaster closed all S.C. public schools in March.
In Darlington County, according to the survey as reproduced by WIS, the students who have fallen off the district’s radar include two in pre-kindergarten, seven in kindergarten, 20 in first grade, 19 in second grade, 16 in third grade, 26 in fourth grade, 18 in fifth grade, one in sixth grade, three in seventh grade, three in eighth grade, 40 in ninth grade, 21 in 10th grade, 16 in 11th grade, and four in 12th grade.
The survey did not break down the students by the schools they attend. The Darlington County School District has about 10,000 students total.
In a statement, district officials said: “We strive to provide every child with a high-quality education, whether online or in person. That said, in spite of significant efforts, we were unable to reach 196 students during the quarantine to ensure their participation in online lessons.
“Every child is important. However, it is also important to note that the number is less than 2 percent of our student population. We are deeply grateful for the efforts of our teachers, staff, students and parents who made online learning possible during such a difficult time.”