The school administration has made the decision to suspend classes for at least one more week as the clean-up from the effects of Hurricane Helene continue.

Here is the statement released by agency president Dr. Timothy Keown a short while ago (Thursday, 10/3):

The impact from the fury of Hurricane Helene will be forever felt on the 227-year-old campus of our South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture, but so will the strength and resilience of our Aggie family. 

As much as we want to be reunited with our incredible students, there simply is no way we can safely return to normal operations next week.

Therefore, our administrative team today made the decision to suspend instruction for an additional week so that we do not put undue pressure on our students and families. We know most of you too are struggling with a lack of electricity, spotty cellular reception and no internet access.

There will be no classes, in-person or e-learning, during the week of Oct. 7-11. Please take this time to work on recovery in your own homes and neighborhoods and to focus on staying safe. We are working with state Department of Education officials to develop a plan to make up and/or waive all lost instructional days in a manner that will least affect planned breaks and family vacations.

We will make an announcement by next midweek on plans for future instruction during the week of Oct. 14 and beyond.

The devastation to our 1,310-acre slice of paradise is unprecedented. Rest assured, all of us here on the John de la Howe campus have labored every day to get back to some semblance of normalcy. 

Our maintenance and farm staff are working long days, from dawn to dusk, to clean up more than 200 trees that were toppled by the storm and to make repairs to damaged buildings. They are being assisted in this daunting task by a number of local and state agencies. The three biggest tasks ahead are restoring power to our campus, assessing tree and structural damage, and making sure all our roadways are safe.

As grateful as we are that so many of you have reached out with offers to assist, because of the dangerous nature of the work, much of it at this point can be performed only by trained professionals. However, our leadership has already begun discussing the idea of an Aggie Family Clean-Up Day. 

When we set a date, we will welcome anyone who wants to help with minor clean-up, landscaping and other projects to continue the process of returning our campus to its timeless beauty. It will be a great day to celebrate our Aggie pride together!

Each and every one of you is an essential player in the Governor’s School for Agriculture story, and we are hopeful you will begin to see the light through the darkness in your own homes and communities. We cannot wait to welcome all of our Aggies back to this special place.

The events of this week will be etched upon our shared history and lore for generations of Aggies to come, and you – our current Aggie students and parents – are part of that story. 

For now, please invest in your own recovery efforts. Separated by miles but united in our indomitable spirit, we are Aggie Strong!