School Board Leaders Needed

Several of my columns have addressed the shortcomings in our West Ashley public schools, especially at the middle and high school levels. The expansion of Orange Grove Elementary Charter School into a middle school has given parents another option. Orange Grove Middle Charter School is off to a good start with its full 6th grade class.
School governance continues to be a barrier to improving West Ashley public schools. Charleston County has a county-wide Consolidated School Board and eight regional Constituent School Boards. West Ashley schools are governed by Constituent District 10.
District 10 trustee Henry Copeland invited me to attend a recent bi-monthly board meeting at the former St. Andrews High School building at 725 Wappoo Road. The District 10 board meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center. The next meeting will be held Thurs., Mar. 17.
What I saw at the District 10 board meeting was quite alarming. The board is supposed to consist of five elected members. There were only three members present at the meeting I attended and one of them walked out in the middle of the meeting, saying he was hungry. One seat has been vacant for several months. The District 10 board has finally forwarded the recommendation to have David Childress fill the vacant seat to the Consolidated School Board for consideration at the Mon., Mar. 21 meeting at the 75 Calhoun St. District Office.
Several Charleston County School District (CCSD) officials were present at the meeting and were evasive when questioned about important issues. Copeland asked Assistant Superintendent Jeff Borowy about the status of Stono Park Elementary, which was on the list of new building projects on the ballot in 2010 when voters approved a 1 percent sales tax increase for new construction. There has been speculation that the CCSD wants to downgrade Stono Park to a renovation project.
Borowy did not directly answer Mr. Copeland’s question regarding Stono Park and suggested that the Consolidated School Board is not obligated to decide on Stono Park’s disposition at its Mar. 21 meeting. Copeland praised Mayor Tecklenburg’s advocacy for a new Stono Park building. Borowy also mentioned that the Consolidated School Board is considering $19 million in spending cuts. I wanted to ask him why no CCSD employees were fired for financial mismanagement, but District 10 board policy does not permit members of the public to address CCSD employees.
Copeland asked another CCSD employee to provide a status on transfers from District 10 schools to alternative schools for students with disciplinary problems. The employee said she had a handout for the District 10 board members, but Copeland said it included no information on the transfers.
A parent asked the District 10 board about the procedures for admissions to Buist Academy, a K-8 magnet school for academically talented students. Copeland noted that none of the magnet admissions policies are available in writing but that it is understood that children of CCSD employees are given top priority. He said that all Constituent School Board members should be given a policy manual detailing magnet school admissions and student transfer policies. He noted that CCSD staff members are bypassing District 10 on transfer decisions involving West Ashley students.
There is a movement among education activists to transfer more control to Constituent School Boards, including the authority to hire principals. The Charleston County Legislative Delegation has assigned the issue to a committee chaired by Rep. David Mack (D-North Charleston). The only West Ashley resident on that committee is Rep. Wendell Gilliard.
It is clear that we need good people to serve on the District 10 Constituent School Board and the Charleston County Consolidated School Board. There are two West Ashley seats for the Consolidated School Board on the November ballot. The West Ashley region on the Consolidated Board includes the Sea Islands.
There are also two spots for the District 10 School Board on the November ballot. To find out the requirements to appear on the ballot, please call the Charleston County Election Commission at (843) 744-VOTE.
The Facebook group West Ashley United has pledge to hold Town Hall forums for West Ashley school board candidates. If you agree with me that we need better leadership to improve our schools, please get involved in the process. We can do better!
John Steinberger is the former chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party, a leading Fair Tax advocate, and a West Ashley resident. He can be reached at John.steinberger@scfairtax.org.