COLUMBIA, S.C. — Governor Henry McMaster says parents should have a choice when it comes to the upcoming school year.
In a recent press conference, he’s addressing what South Carolina schools will look like for the next school year.
The governor is calling on all public school districts to submit reopening plans that give parents the options of sending their kids to school 5 days a week in the classroom or keep that at home 5 days a week doing virtual learning.
“Try as we might, we know that virtual education is not as good as person-to-person,” McMaster said. “So, what we need to do is to take every step at our disposal to get students back in the classroom where they want to be.”
McMaster asked Superintendent Molly Spearman not to approve any district plan that doesn’t include an option for parents to choose to let children go back to school 5 days.
He’s also asking school districts to reopen schools on Tuesday, Sept. 8. He says this will give districts more time to complete their plans, communicate those plans with parents, work on bus routes and incorporate health and safety protocols from the CDC and DHEC. But this is not mandated.
There’s also money available for school districts to gain COVID-19 resources to ensure their schools are safe, healthy and are in good condition for students to return.
McMaster is also urging that all students, regardless of zip code should be able to go back to school. This, he says, allows parents to go back to work, which in turn boosts the economy.
He points out that DSS reports child abuse complaints during the pandemic have gone down because children are not at school to alert authorities and nurses. The governor says more than 10,000 students have not been heard from since the pandemic began.
In the video above, hear from the Governor, Senate President Harvey Peeler and other state education leaders.
