This is from the local paper:
. . . Board members also approved the 2017-2018 school calendar, which came from a committee comprising teachers, administrators, parents and district staff.
District spokeswoman Pat Raynor said it has been a bit of a “challenging year” because of new features; the main challenge was that state law dictates that children cannot start school until the third Monday in August and this year that falls on Aug. 21 – the same day Summerville will experience a solar eclipse, an day that already is becoming a notable event locally.
However, Raynor also said legislators recently approved a resolution to allow school districts to begin school – for next year only – on Aug. 17. Raynor said after “a lot of dialogue” the committee selected Aug. 22 as the first day of school. She said this is in sync with DD4; Charleston County will start on Aug. 17, but its school year will end the same day as DD2.
The district's winter break will be a little different this year as it will start Dec. 20, which is a Wednesday, and return Jan. 3.
Superintendent Joe Pye noted safety concerns with having school Aug. 21, particularly with dismissal.
Pye said local schools will send home packets for the students to have information on the eclipse.
“We just didn’t want to dismiss school and be in the middle of that and (have) drivers and kids trying to see it,” he said, adding it would be a “very bad situation” in terms of safety.
http://www.journalscene.com/news/dd-waives-three-make-up-days-plans-to-begin-next/article_2aa822aa-085b-11e7-852c-6be7f4aa1605.html
