At the February 24, 2025 board meeting, the School District of Pickens County (SDPC) Board of Trustees approved a calendar adjustment to finalize the make-up plan for instructional time missed due to Hurricane Helene.
Why This Change Was Necessary
South Carolina law (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-1-425(B)) requires all instructional days missed due to extreme weather or other disruptions to be made up.
SDPC is an SC Department of Education (SCDE) approved eLearning district. The current provision allows the district to use up to five (5) days in eLearning. These days are for emergency situations, such as inclement weather or utility interruptions (for example, water line breaks or power outages). They are not planned days on the calendar.
If eLearning is not possible or we have used all five allowed days of eLearning, a closure may be necessary. Days missed due to the closure of schools will be made up.
School districts must first use three designated inclement weather make-up days built into the calendar. These days are February 14, April 21, and now May 22/23 (see below) on the 2024-25 school calendar.
If additional days are needed, districts may request permission to:
Seek a waiver from the local school board (for up to three missed days, but only after all scheduled make-up days have been used).
Request additional waivers from the State Board of Education or the General Assembly for extreme cases.
How SDPC is Making Up Hurricane Helene Closures
SDPC missed six instructional days due to Hurricane Helene. The district used a combination of eLearning, in-person make-up days, and special approval from the SCDE to finalize the following plan:
Updated Make-Up Plan
February 14 – eLearning Day (Already Completed)
Approved as an eLearning day for this year only due to extenuating circumstances.
Makes up September 30, 2024 (the first missed day of Hurricane Helene closures)
April 21 – Now a Full In-Person Make-Up Day
Originally scheduled as an Inclement Weather Make-Up Day, this day will now serve as a regular school day for students.
Makes up October 1, 2024.
May 22 – Full Day of Instruction (Previously a Half Day)
May 23 – Full Day of Instruction (Previously a Half Day, Last Day of School)
These two half-days will now be full days, combining to make up one full instructional day.
This adjustment makes up for October 2, 2024.
By implementing this plan, students will meet SC legislative makeup requirements without extending the school year.
Why Can't We Use More eLearning Days?
Many families have asked why we cannot use eLearning to make up all missed days. SCDE’s eLearning Days District Handbook states that districts approved for eLearning may use up to five eLearning days per school year to account for short-term disruptions to in-person instruction. SDPC has now used its fifth and final eLearning day for the 2024-25 school year.
eLearning used During the 2024-25 School Year
eLearning #1 - Friday, September 27
eLearning Day due to Hurricane Helene
eLearning #2 - Friday, October 4
eLearning Day due to the continuing impact of Hurricane Helene
eLearning #3 - Friday, January 10
Winter Weather
eLearning #4 - Wednesday, January 22
Winter Weather
eLearning #5 - Friday, February 14 (to make up September 30)
SDPC received permission to make-up a past date with eLearning
No additional eLearning days may be used to prevent or recover missed instructional time. Future make-up days must be scheduled as in-person instructional days or formally waived through state-approved processes.
Revised Calendar
The updated school calendar reflecting these changes is now available:
📅 View the updated calendar here: https://5il.co/1k1hk
We appreciate our families' and staff’s patience and understanding as we navigate this process.