School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees Votes 3-2 To Allow Middle and High Schools to begin classes one Week Early next School Year
(Seneca, SC)——-Last night, the School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees voted 3-2 to allow middle and high schools to begin school one week earlier next school year.
Students in middle and high schools will begin school next year on August 10th while elementary school students will begin the school next year on August 17th, which will be the third Monday in August.
Steve Hanvey, Associate Superintendent of Education for the School District of Oconee County, says that work will continue in conversations with the Legislative Delegation and with other Superintendents to try to get every grade level to begin classes on August 10th.
Hanvey said the School District will take data that they have collected to the State Department of Education to attempt to gain a waiver so all grade levels can begin school at the same time next year.
Twelve years ago, the South Carolina Legislature passed legislation saying that schools could not begin before the third Monday in August.
Hanvey said the School District asked the state Department of Education for a waiver to allow middle and high school’s to begin one week earlier due to the Schools District’s desire for students to finish exams before Christmas as well as the increase in the number of students who have chosen to take dual enrollment classes with Tri-County Technical College.