Lancaster County Schools approve modified year-round school calendar

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — The Lancaster County School Board of Trustees on Tuesday night approved a modified year-round school calendar.

Board members looked at three options for the 2024-25 school year aimed to help students and teachers succeed in the classroom.

The board chose the second option, which has the first day scheduled on Aug. 12, 2024. The last day will be May 30, 2025.

The first semester ends right before winter break starts as opposed to after.

A board member said earlier Tuesday it’s about giving teachers more mental health breaks and it to give students who are falling behind academically more opportunities to catch up during the year.

Lancaster County Schools surveyed parents about it and there were mixed reactions.

One parent said he likes a traditional calendar with a long summer break but is willing to go with the flow.

“I think that it’s got potential both ways,” parent Justin Fredrico said. “It could be great for some families, and it could be a burden on others. It all depends on everybody’s homestyle. We don’t have much of a choice. We got to figure it out.”

School districts including Fort Mill, York, and Chester and Chesterfield counties have already implemented some form of a modified calendar either for next year or the year after that.

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