Sumter, Clarendon Lee school districts, Morris College, to have early dismissal on Friday due to weather

Because of the threat of another severe weather system and strong winds about the time of school dismissal, today will be a half day for all students and staff in the three area school districts.
A Sumter School District spokeswoman distributed a notice to the media about 4 p.m. Thursday, and officials in Lee and Clarendon counties followed suit.
In Sumter, elementary schools will dismiss at 11 a.m., middle schools at 11:30 a.m. and high schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m., according to Shelly Galloway, the district’s executive director of communication and community engagement.
She added that students will receive a bagged lunch before dismissal and all after-school activities will also be canceled.
The local district works in conjunction with emergency management and law enforcement officials when making decisions regarding inclement weather in the community, Galloway said.
“Projected wind gusts in excess of 35 miles per hour create unsafe conditions for our school buses,” she said. “Although the forecast could change, we wanted to give our families and staff enough notice in order to prepare for the early dismissal.”
In Lee County, Lee County School District will also have a half day with elementary schools dismissing at 11:30 a.m., Lee Central Middle School at noon and Lee Central High School at 12:15 p.m.
Clarendon County School District will also operate in a similar scenario with the following dismissal times: Manning Early Childhood Center, Summerton Early Childhood Center, Walker Gamble Elementary School and Rose Wilder Elementary School at 11 a.m.; Manning Primary School at 11:10 a.m.; East Clarendon Middle-High School and Manning Elementary School at 11:20 a.m.; Scott’s Branch Middle-High School at 11:25 a.m.; Manning Junior High School at 11:30 a.m.; and Manning High School at 11:45.
The severe weather system is the second in the forecast this week for the Midlands. Tuesday was an eLearning day in many districts in the region, including Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties.

Morris College in Sumter will close at 1 p.m. today for all  in-person classes and activities for faculty, staff and students. Virtual classes scheduled for today will continue in their remote format.