Email to Parents and Staff – February 14 as an eLearning Day
Subject: Important Update: eLearning Day on February 14 & In-Service Day on February 17, 2025
Dear SDPC Families and Staff,
We want to make you aware of two important updates to our school calendar:
✅ Friday, February 14, will be an eLearning Day. Students will complete assignments remotely, with five school days to submit their work. This will allow us to make up an instructional day without further disruptions later in the year. Students have until Monday, Feb. 24 to submit their assignments.
✅ Monday, February 17, is an In-Service Day for teachers. Students do not attend school on this day.
📢 Please read below for full details and background information.
Why February 14 is an eLearning Day
This week, we received approval to use an eLearning Day on February 14, allowing us to make up for instructional time missed due to Hurricane Helene. Since February 14 was originally scheduled as an Inclement Weather Make-Up Day, using eLearning ensures that students can complete their work remotely, rather than attending an additional in-person make-up day.
Background on Missed Days Due to Hurricane Helene
As you may recall, our district missed six days of school due to Hurricane Helene:
September 27 and October 4 were completed as eLearning days, meaning no additional make-up is required.
September 30, October 1, October 2, and October 3 were school closures and are currently under consideration for forgiveness by the South Carolina General Assembly.
Legislative bills (House Bill 3778 and Senate Bill 290) have been introduced to waive these days, and we have received strong indications from state leaders that these bills are expected to pass in the coming weeks.
Note: We also used eLearning for January 10 and January 22, 2025. Four total days of eLearning have been used so far during the 2024-25 school year. We are allowed five eLearning Days each school year.
What Happens If the Legislature Does Not Grant Forgiveness?
If the legislature does not pass a forgiveness bill, we will need to attend in-person make-up days on April 21 and May 27. Using eLearning on February 14 helps avoid the need for our School Board to adjust the 2024-25 calendar to add a third make-up day beyond these already scheduled make-up days.
Important Details About eLearning Days:
Students will complete assignments remotely.
All assignments must be submitted within five school days to be counted as present. This means that SDPC students have until Monday, Feb. 24 to submit their assignments.
For additional information on eLearning expectations, please visit our SDPC eLearning Day website.
Additionally, please remember that Monday, February 17, is an In-Service Day for teachers, and students do not attend school.
We will continue to monitor legislative developments and keep you informed of any changes. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these calendar adjustments.
