Sumter, Clarendon, public schools delaying start times Monday due to freezing forecast
Lee County cancels class, delays start for District Office
UPDATE: (Monday, 6:57 a.m.) Lee County School District will be closed for students on Monday, Jan. 8. The district office will open at 9 a.m. for District Office staff only.
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Sunday, Jan. 7, 9:41 p.m.
Sumter School District Acting Superintendent Debbie Hamm will discuss make-up days at the district's Board of Trustees meeting Monday night.
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Students will return to school throughout Sumter and Clarendon counties on Monday, Jan. 8, a week later than originally scheduled due to continued cold temperatures, but district officials are letting alarm clocks go off later than normal.
Sumter School District schools and offices will open on a two-hour delay for students and staff on Monday, according to Shelly Galloway, a spokeswoman for the district.
“Morning pre-school will not be held, and breakfast will not be served,” she emailed on Sunday evening. “Schools will open two hours later than their normal start times. Students who ride a school bus should report to their bus stops two hours later than usual.”
Galloway said students who wait outside for a bus should take appropriate precautions to be in below-freezing temperatures.
According to the National Weather Service, Sunday’s low will drop to 21 degrees. It is expected to climb to 47 degrees on Monday, but it will still be under freezing in the morning.
Rain on Monday is not in the forecast until that night.
“School officials are mindful of our students who will be out in these cold temperatures waiting for the bus or walking to school,” Galloway said. “We also need additional time to ensure our buses are ready.”
Clarendon School District 2 will also begin classes after an extra week out.
District Director Tonia Smith said faculty and staff should report on a one-hour delay, and students will be on a two-hour delay.
Smith said make-up days – the district was not supposed to return from winter break until Wednesday, Jan. 3, the say it snowed, meaning three days were considered snow days – will be announced at a later date.