Lowcountry Headlines

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CCSD board: Major changes that would close or merge schools

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County School District board could vote on broad-sweeping recommendations during its Monday meeting that would affect almost two dozen schools.

The proposed changes, listed below, could close some schools, merge others, and eliminate the partial magnet status of several. If a change is approved on Monday, it only needs one more vote of approval by the board which could happen as early as Monday, Nov. 18.

  1. Transition Mary Ford Elementary into an early education center and rezone all of those students Chicora Elementary:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  2. Build a new Ladson elementary school at Ingleside and convert the current Ladson Elementary into a universal 4K and 5K preschool and family engagement center:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  3. Combine Lambs, Hunley Park and Goodwin elementary schools on to one campus at Lambs and create a universal 4K and 5K preschool and family engagement center at either Hunley Park or Goodwin:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  4. Create an advanced academic program at West Ashley High School:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  5. Remove fifth graders from Haut Gap Middle School and make it solely for sixth to eighth graders:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  6. Consolidate two district 10 middle schools, so sixth graders would attend West Ashley Middle School and seventh and eighth graders would attend C.E. Williams Middle School:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  7. Eliminate the partial magnet status of James B. Edwards Elementary, Zucker Middle School, and Mitchell Elementary; Make Haut Gap the advanced studies constituent magnet open to all eligible District 9 and Camp Road Middle students; Let Sullivan’s Island Elementary keep its partial magnet status :Approved (still needs second vote to become official, will be looked at again on Dec. 16)
  8. Change Buist Academy to a school for only third to eighth graders and revise the eligibility and selection process:Approved (still needs second vote to become official, will be looked at again on Dec. 16)
  9. Create a K-2 advanced academic program at Memminger:Approved (still needs second vote to become official, will be looked at again on Dec. 16)
  10. Study the feasibility of creating one Montessori Middle School to house seventh and eighth grade students from Murray LaSaine, James Simons, Hursey, and Montessori Community schools for 2020-2021:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  11. Create a new Johns Island elementary school, location to be decided:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)
  12. Close Minnie Hughes Elementary School and rezone all those students to E. B. Ellington:Approved (still needs second vote to become official)

Last week, lawmakers asked the district to hold off on voting on any of the proposed changes because of concerns and confusion about the changes. More than 20 state lawmakers signed the letter asking the district to slow down. The school district was supposed to meet with the delegation last Friday. Now that meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13.

The next school board meeting is on Monday, Nov. 18.

Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.


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