Phenomenal growth in Berkeley County School District
September 10, 2015
MONCKS CORNER, SC – It is projected that by the 2016-2017 academic year, Berkeley County School District will have experienced a 21 percent increase in students in the last 10 years.
In 2006, Berkeley County School District had 26, 682 students. That number grew to 28,207 in 2011, but has increased significantly within the last four years. The district’s Day 10 Attendance Count for this year shows that as of Friday, August 28, 2015, there were 32,330 students in the district. Additionally, the district serves 1,020 pre-school students. The growth is significant because projections estimated the number of students in the county to be 31, 886 by the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, and the district has already exceeded that amount.
Though several schools in the district have experienced an increase in students, Cane Bay Elementary, Middle and High Schools have experienced the most growth.
Melissa LaBerge, Principal of Cane Bay Elementary School, said, “Though growth does impact us greatly, it is a positive change that we have embraced with open arms. New families and new students help diversify our schools and make us stronger. The elementary school has felt the waves of growth causing us to move the 5th grade students to the middle school in 2013 and to bring in portable learning cottages in 2014. Though we no longer have a need for portables, we did enroll close to 100 students more than originally anticipated for the 2015-2016 school year.”
Echoing LaBerge’s sentiments concerning growth, Carol Beckman-Bartlett, Principal of Cane Bay Middle School, said, “The growth has not been a surprise, this is definitely ‘the hot corner’ of Berkeley County! What we have done to prepare is to think several steps ahead. What will we do if we need another classroom? What team would get the next teacher and so on. We do get concerned about space because there is nothing we can do to add more. Because we have kept our 5th graders, instructional space is our biggest challenge, but having these students with us is wonderful. They are a joy to have on campus. I think the biggest piece to keep in front of our community is that growth creates both challenges and opportunities. It will take a team effort to manage this ongoing process that includes flexibility, creative problem solving, and communication.”
Principal of Cane Bay High School, Dr. Lee Westberry, said, “Cane Bay High is experiencing exponential growth. Though this rapid growth presents many challenges, like space constraints, we are benefiting from a diverse population. We have had families from all over the country and from outside the country move in this summer. This diversity will only serve to enhance our already stellar programs. We are excited that others see what we see in Cane Bay! We are proud to be Cobras!”
A recent growth study conducted by the Strom Thurmond Institute determined that Berkeley County School District will continue to see significant growth during the next two decades. It is projected that the district will serve approximately 55,000 students by 2035. The study estimated that 20 to 23 schools will need to be built by 2035 to manage growth.
