The Fort Mill School District is taking another look at its reopening plans for in light of Wednesday’s press conference from Gov. Henry McMaster.
Gov. McMaster announced new recommendations for the state and proposed a delaying reopening until Sept. 8, almost a month after the plan by Fort Mill.
The governor said school districts should provide only two options to parents to choose from for instruction. The options are:
1: A full return of students to face-to-face learning, five days a week.
2: A fully virtual option for those that choose not to return to face-to-face learning (Fort Mill Virtual Academy).
“While this has not been mandated, Governor McMaster stated he instructed the South Carolina Department of Education to reject any plan that does not include a full face-to-face return for students,” a FMSD announcement says. “This has forced the district to re-evaluate our plan under these new guidelines. We will be sharing more information with parents and staff as we get further clarification from the State Department of Education.
And because the governor recommended that schools delay opening until Sept. 8, FMSD officials will now re-evaluate the school calendar. The current plan had Fort Mill students returning on Aug. 10.
“(We) will share any changes to the calendar as soon as they are determined,” the district announcement said.
“We understand our parents and staff have begun preparing for a return to school under the recent plan released by the district and that this new uncertainty will cause more stress and anxiety for everyone. We will work quickly to notify our parents and staff of any changes as soon as they are determined,” the FMSD email said. “Thank you for your patience as we work through this new information.”