CCSD Board of Trustees advances recommendations

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees agreed to proceed with a list of recommendations to be voted on at two upcoming meetings. Some of the proposals will be decided Monday, November 18, 2019, and others needing more time will be up for a final vote Monday, December 16, 2019. These recommendations are the culmination of more than a year of analysis, collaboration, planning, and feedback gathering including the Shared Future Project, the AdvancEd Accreditation Report, the Clemson University Diversity Study, Mission Critical Action Groups, and most recently, community listening sessions.

The recommendations to be considered for approval on November 18 are as follows:

• Transition Mary Ford Elementary to an Early Childhood and Family Engagement Center as a model for universal preschool and kindergarten from Mary Ford Elementary and Chicora Elementary. Mary Ford students in grades 1-5 would be rezoned to Chicora;
• In the next penny sales tax program, relocate and construct a new Ladson Elementary and convert the current school to an Early Childhood and Family Engagement Center;
• In the next sales tax program, combine Lambs Elementary, Hunley Park Elementary, and W.B. Goodwin Elementary on one campus and create an Early Childhood and Family Engagement Center at one of the current campuses;
• Approve the list of 15 Acceleration Schools that would focus on more rapidly increasing student achievement and seek greater flexibility and autonomy through waivers from some state regulations;
• Approve a process for vetting applicants for innovative schools or programs, and open a second round solicitation;
• Revamp the District’s gifted and talented program to ensure that at least the top 5% of students in all schools are served as well as determine funding needed to provide more equitable middle school honors courses;
• Establish an Advanced Academic Program at West Ashley High School in partnership with the College of Charleston;
• Return the fifth grade at Haut Gap Middle to the area elementary schools, making Haut Gap a 6-8 school;
• Merge Constituent District 10 middle schools by putting all sixth graders at West Ashley Middle and all seventh and eighth graders at C.E. Williams Middle;
• Study the feasibility of creating one Montessori Middle School to house grades 7-8 from Murray-LaSaine, James Simons, Malcolm Hursey, and Montessori Community for 2020-21 as well as study the feasibility of a 7-12 Montessori school;
• Combine Minnie Hughes Elementary and E.B. Ellington Elementary on the Ellington campus beginning starting in the 2020-21 school year in order to expand opportunities for students at both schools;
• Develop a report by February 2020 on the feasibility of merging or rezoning all schools with fewer than 500 students within the next three to five years in order to improve opportunities for students

The recommendations to be considered for approval on December 16 are as follows:

• Consider future of partial magnet status at James B. Edwards Elementary, Jerry Zucker Middle, and Julian Mitchell Elementary. Each would become a special program neighborhood school that accept additional students through the transfer process;
• Make Haut Gap Middle an advanced studies constituent magnet for District 9 and eligible District 3 students, with preference given to D9 students;
• Continue Laing Middle as a constituent magnet for Districts 1 and 2 with an attendance zone;
• Permit all students currently attending partial magnets to remain until they complete the grade structure and study the cost of providing transportation to these students;
• Create K-2 Advanced Academic magnet at Memminger Elementary with priority to D20 students (starting with kindergarten in 2020-21)
• Work with District 10 Constituent Board to create an attendance zone for Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary and continue the school as a constituent magnet;
• Continue North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary and Jennie Moore Elementary as creative arts constituent magnets with attendance zones in District 4 and District 2, respectively;
• Continue the Advanced Academic constituent magnet at E.B. Ellington Elementary;
• Make changes to Buist Academy grade structure and application process:

• • Phase out grades K-2 by the 2023-24 school year;
  • Expand grades 3-6 by one class per grade beginning next year
  • Expansion classes would give preference to students at or above the 75th percentile in Reading and Math from schools with a poverty index above 80%

• Develop new admissions criteria for Academic Magnet High School
  • Offer 30% of seats to incoming students who meet the entrance criteria and attend a middle school with a poverty index above 80%

Additionally, the Board voted to remove Sullivan’s Island Elementary and St. Andrew’s Math and Science Elementary from the list of partial magnet programs that would be eliminated.

For more information, please visit the District’s website, ccsdschools.com, and click on the BoardDocs link.

About the Charleston County School District

Charleston County School District (CCSD), a nationally-accredited school district, is the second largest school system in South Carolina representing a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs. With approximately 6,100 employees district-wide, CCSD is the fourth largest employer in the region.

CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, charter, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), and Montessori schools, and is divided into three Learning Communities. Options include specialized programs in science, engineering and mathematics; liberal arts; music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military and other public service enterprises.