In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic South Carolina state Governor Henry McMaster is pressuring school districts in SC to reopen school buildings for face to face instruction without adhering to recommendations from various groups, including AcceleratedED, stating when schools should return to face to face instruction.

SC has the 3rd highest coronavirus outbreak rate in the world, with many mayors within recent weeks approving city ordinances regarding  wearing masks. Various organizations have recommended that "reopening (SC) schools be contingent on lowering disease activity in the county in which the school is located". DHEC recently sent out the incidence rates defining the spread of disease in each South Carolina county. Marlboro County, was the only county rated as "low incidence". All other counties spanned from "moderate" to "high" incidence (moderate to high spread).  Based on these current results and guidance from AcceleratedEd, distance-learning should be used to begin the school year in areas where the virus spread needs to be lowered. This recommendation has been ignored by the governor and some district leaders.

Please sign this petition to show you agree that schools should be virtual until the counties meet the disease spread guidelines showing that it is safe for students and adults to reenter the buildings for face to face instruction. We want to re-enter our school buildings, but we want to re-enter them safely!