Upstate, Western NC schools announce changes due to Helene

(WSPA) – Schools across the Upstate and western North Carolina have announced changes for the week due to the aftermath of Helene.

Spartanburg County

All Spartanburg County school districts will remain closed through the rest of the week. There will be no eLearning during the closure as most schools and homes are without power.

High Point Academy in Spartanburg will also remain closed through October 4.

All Spartanburg Community College campuses will be closed for the remainder of this week (October 1st through the 4th) due to the impacts of the weather on the community. Students do not need to log in to online classes and no assignments are due during this closure.

USC Upstate has canceled all classes for the remainder of the week and will resume on Monday. The university is closed today, and except for essential employees, employees will work remotely through the rest of the week.

Greenville County

Greenville County Schools made the announcement on Monday afternoon, citing internet outages, a lack of stable power and safe transportation routes as reasons for the closure.

“Schools and offices will be closed to the public, there is no eLearning, and all field trips are canceled,” a representative for the district said. “Decisions regarding other activities including athletics will be announced on Wednesday.”

The district said decisions about next week are still being evaluated at this time. Officials added that eLearning or in-person school are possibilities.

Even when power is restored to the area, the district explained it will take at least 48 hours to restock cafeteria supplies.

Bob Jones University will resume full operations and classes on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Cherokee County

Schools in Cherokee County will stay closed through the rest of the week. The district said there will be no eLearning and afterschool activities will be canceled through Wednesday.

The district said plans for county closures and extracurricular activities will be reassessed later.

Anderson County

All Anderson County School Districts will cancel school through Friday, October 4. Officials said widespread power outages are the cause for closure.

Anderson District 3 will open Flat Rock Elementary School and Iva Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days so families can charge devices. The schools will also be serving food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Anderson District 4 will also open up and serve meals through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following schools:

• Pendleton High School
• LaFrance Elementary
• Mount Lebanon Elementary
• Pendleton Elementary
• Townville Elementary

All Tri-County Technical College campuses will be open on Wednesday, October 2, and in-person and online classes will take place as scheduled on Wednesday through the remainder of the week.

Pickens County

All Tri-County Technical College campuses will be open on Wednesday, October 2, and in-person and online classes will take place as scheduled on Wednesday through the remainder of the week.

The School District of Pickens County (SDPC) has announced that due to ongoing power outages at homes and schools, numerous unsafe road conditions and the need to keep roads clear for emergency workers, the district will close schools on Wednesday, October 2, and Thursday, October 3, 2024. These days are not eLearning days.

The school district released the following:

We are still without power in a number of sites, but we are hopeful power will be restored by the end of the week. Staff will then need time to prepare schools for reopening and ensure meal service is ready for students. Families are respectfully asked to minimize travel on county roads to allow emergency workers easier access to areas needing support. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as soon as possible about operations on Friday.

Oconee County

The School District of Oconee County will be closed on Tuesday, October 1st and Wednesday, October 2nd. It will not be an eLearning day according to the district. The school will resume on Thursday, October 3rd on a normal schedule. All Chromebooks and chargers should be returned to school with students.

• Some bus routes/pick-up times may have to be adjusted; changes will be communicated with the impacted families
• The district is working on plans for extracurriculars, including athletics
• Fall Break will continue as planned – Students are off Monday, October 7th – Monday, October 14th and will return to school on Tuesday, October 15th (Monday, October 14th is an in-service day for teachers)

The district released the following statement:

After reviewing the current situation around power outages and road conditions, we feel the best decision is to remain closed for Wednesday.  However, with the significant progress being made in restoring power and clearing roads, we will open schools Thursday on a normal schedule.  We feel strongly that getting students back in school, learning and receiving both breakfast and lunch is best for kids.  While the damage here in Oconee is extensive, we are thankful to have fared better than our neighboring districts to the east, allowing us to open for Thursday and Friday.  We understand that some may still be without power when school resumes on Thursday; we will work with families and staff members in these cases. We are incredibly thankful to all those serving our community during this time, particularly the men and women working around the clock to restore power to all those without. We would ask you to join us in praying for their safety as they work.

All Tri-County Technical College campuses will be open on Wednesday, October 2, and in-person and online classes will take place as scheduled on Wednesday through the remainder of the week.

Polk County

Polk County Schools will remain closed until further notice.

Prepared meals will be distributed at Polk County High School from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, while supplies last.

Henderson County

All Henderson County Public Schools will remain closed until further notice.

Buncombe County

Buncombe County Schools are closed through Friday, October 4.

Asheville City Schools are also closed until further notice.

Rutherford County

Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in Forest City, N.C. will remain closed through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are expected to be remote learning days for students.

“We recognize that remote learning and remote work are not possible for most students, employees, and families across our county with the continued power outages and internet outages,” the school said.

Thursday and Friday’s assignments for TJCA students include studying notes, reviewing math and journaling about this week.

The school added that they hope to re-open on October 7.

Know of a school closure we missed? Email us at news@wspa.com to add your closure to the list.

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