Students to split after 5th grade
Orange Grove Elementary School students
will be split up after fifth grade and sent to different middle schools.
BY DIETTE COURRÉGÉ
The Post and Courier (2 Dec 05)
It's the only West Ashley elementary school where students won't travel
to the same middle school under a plan approved Thursday.
The constituent board decided in a 3-2 vote to choose rezoning option
"B," under which Drayton Hall, Oakland and half of Orange Grove
elementary schools' students would go to the current West Ashley
Intermediate School. Stono Park, Springfield and the other half
of Orange Grove students, those who live west of Orange Branch Road and
north of Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, would attend what is now West Ashley
Middle School.
The West Ashley Constituent Board wanted to create three middle schools
in its district to serve sixth- through eighth-grade students and to
put fifth-grade students back in elementary schools.
Magnet schools aside, fifth- and sixth-grade students attend West
Ashley Intermediate School, and seventh- and eighth-grade students
attend West Ashley Middle School. District leaders created three
options for rezoning, and in each scenario, the magnet school feeder
system would remain the same, with the only change being C.E. Williams
dropping fifth grade.
The constituent board held three public hearings on the matter. Of
those who spoke on the topic, 13 people favored the option the board
chose while eight preferred the option under which no schools would
have been split. Three people preferred a third option, which would
have drawn new attendance lines based on geography alone.
Russell Johnson, chairman of the constituent board, voted for option
"B" because another plan, option "A," would have combined schools with
low parental involvement. It's smarter to "spread the wealth" and
create middle schools that would have a strong support base of parents,
he said. "I feel like we're doing the best for all the kids," he
said.
Robert Dillon, a member of the board, voted for option "A," under which
students from Oakland, Drayton Hall and Stono Park would feed into West
Ashley Intermediate School, and Orange Grove and Springfield students
would feed into West Ashley Middle School. That would keep Orange Grove
students together, and he said he didn't think they should have to
separate. In his choice, West Ashley Intermediate might become a
Title 1 school, eligible for federal money based on the percentage of
students living in poverty, but that's not definite. [Nor even likely! This was factor did
NOT motivate my decision. - RD]
Jana Delli-Gatti, also a constituent board member, agreed and chose the
option that would keep Orange Grove students together. Rodney
Lewis, vice chairman for the board, chose the option that split Orange
Grove because it was more equitable overall, he said. Constituent
board member Edythe Haynes also chose option "B."
The decision now goes to the county board, which has final say in the
matter. [Not True.
Constituent Boards have final jurisdiction on attendance zones. - RD]
The plan would go into effect next year.
Contact Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or
dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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