Sumter School District announces 3 make-up days from Hurricane Florence

Oct. 22, Jan. 18 and Feb. 18 now on school calendar

Posted

After closing schools for four days last week associated with hurricane preparations and opening Red Cross shelters, Sumter School District announced three make-up dates for students at its board meeting on Monday night.

Interim Superintendent Debbie Hamm said those make-up dates will be Monday, Oct. 22; Friday, Jan. 18 2019; and Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.

Those dates were previously listed as inclement weather days on the district's calendar, under a state requirement. Now, they will officially serve as make-up days.

Hamm said administration didn't have a recommendation for the board on the fourth day missed - to decide on another make-up day or waive the day - since it's so early in the year right now.

"At this stage in the game, we need to wait and see what happens with the rest of the school year," Hamm said. "If there are more days involved, the board will have a different decision to make about making those days up."

Sumter was among a total of 26 counties whose public schools were shut down for the hurricane by Gov. Henry McMaster so the facilities could be used as shelters. Sumter High School and the former Mayewood Middle School served as emergency shelters during the storm.

In other news

- Board member and Finance Committee Chairman Johnny Hilton said the board's advisory committee will hold its monthly meeting today at 9:30 a.m. at the district office, 1345 Wilson Hall Road.

- After concerns were raised last school year about how the district established its honor graduates, district administration announced that calculations for high school valedictorians and salutatorians will now be made from students' grade-point averages on the 175th day of school. Previously, calculations for those honor graduates were made based on GPA after the first semester. The student calendar is 180 days.

- At-large board member William Byrd has been absent from board meetings since July. A fellow board member confirmed Monday night that Byrd is "under doctor's care" at this time.