GCS Schools and Offices Closed
Update: 10/11/2018 5:00 AM - GCS Schools and Offices Closed Thursday
Greenville County schools and offices will be closed Thursday. All activities are cancelled.
A Tropical Storm Warning was issued for Greenville County just before 4am in addition to a Flash Flood Watch and Flood Advisory. Our Inclement Conditions Evaluation team drove Upstate roads this morning and encountered heavy rains, standing water and scattered debris. Team members are also reporting power outages. The potential for strong winds gusting up to 35mph exists throughout the morning. It is our belief that this volatile storm could pose a significant safety risk for staff and students.
While we prefer to make decisions about cancellations the evening prior to school, we delayed until this morning because were not under a Tropical Storm Alert last night. We did not want to put students and staff at risk, but wanted to make the best possible decision with the most accurate and up to date information realizing the hardship to families when schools close.
This day will be made up on April 22, 2019.
Greenville County Schools is following the projected path of Hurricane Michael. There are no changes to school activities or after-school events on Wednesday. District officials will assess forecasted wind speeds later this evening to determine whether bus transportation could be impacted on Thursday. The state recommends buses not operate in 30mph sustained winds or 40mph wind gusts. At this time the storm is projected to move to the east of us and have a stronger impact in the midlands.
We will only cancel school if it appears the wind will be a problem during the hours our buses transport students to and from school. Canceling school is a hardship for many of our families. School buildings can provide greater protection against severe weather than many residences. All of our schools have a storm radio that is tracked throughout the day.