Another Midlands school district switches to virtual classrooms as COVID surges in SC

Noah Feit
·2 min read

Tuesday was the first day of classes at most South Carolina schools following the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But the classrooms will be online for Lexington County District 3 students.

Lexington 3 became the latest school district in the Midlands to shift to virtual learning as cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 surge.

All four of the district’s schools, in the Batesburg-Leesville areas, will switch to online classes beginning Tuesday, school district officials said in a news release. Remote learning will continue at least through the end of the week, according to the release.

The tentative plan is to return to in-person classes at the schools on Jan. 24, but that decision will not be confirmed until closer to next Monday, officials said.

The move to virtual learning was made because of “a critical spread of COVID-19 at all schools among students and faculty and an inability to adequately staff schools and continue face-to-face instruction,” officials said.

As a result of the switch, all varsity and JV sports — practices and games — are cancelled until the school returns to in-person instruction, according to the release.

Additionally, after-school programs at B-L Primary and B-L Elementary schools are also cancelled, while day and night classes at the Lifelong Learning Center are also called off for the rest of the week, officials said.

“While in remote learning mode, instruction is expected to continue — school is not closed,” the release said.

Families who would like four days worth of free meals courtesy of Lexington 3 can pick up the food on Wednesday, at B-L Elementary School from 9-11 a.m., according to the release.

Lexington 3 joins nearby Lexington-Richland 5 in shifting to a virtual schedule because of the coronavirus.

Other school districts in South Carolina have had to adjust operations because of the pandemic. Oconee County schools and both school districts in Bamberg County have already shifted to virtual classes. River Bluff High School in Lexington 1 was remote last week, and LR5’s Chapin Elementary moved to virtual recently.

In Richland County, first graders at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower will be virtual-only until at least Jan. 24, following Dent Middle School, which also temporarily went to virtual classes.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

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