COLUMBIA, S.C. — This week’s snowstorm forced many Midlands students to shift to e-learning, but some school districts may soon face the challenge of making up missed days as their allotted e-learning time runs out.
Since the start of the school year, districts across the Midlands have navigated a range of extreme weather conditions, including hurricanes, flooding, and now winter snow and ice. E-learning days have been a vital tool to keep instruction going during these disruptions, but state rules limit districts to five e-learning days per year.
According to the South Carolina Department of Education(SCDE), schools must meet a minimum of 180 instructional days during the academic year. District calendars typically include three make-up days and three teacher workdays, while also allowing for five e-learning days to replace in-person scheduled class to account for disruptions. However, when these options are exhausted, the decision to handle additional missed days falls to the district’s school board…